Asia-Pacific leads growing push for mandatory human rights due diligence

Asia and the Pacific is leading the charge for mandatory human rights due diligence (mHRDD), with a number of governments in the region taking steps to strengthen laws preventing human rights abuses in global supply chains.

The region is increasingly setting the direction on business and human rights, with Thailand and Indonesia advancing proposals for stronger corporate accountability and reinforcing the case for Australia to build on its own progress.

The 8th UN Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum in Bangkok brought together governments, businesses, investors, civil society, trade unions, human rights defenders, affected communities, academia, and young people under the theme ‘Building Resilience, Advancing Rights’.

Walk Free joined regional partners and leaders at the Forum to highlight how stronger corporate accountability could help prevent exploitation and improve access to remedy.

An estimated 1.8 million people are living in modern slavery in Indonesia, showing the scale of exploitation facing workers across the country.

The country is advancing proposals for mandatory human rights due diligence as momentum grows for stronger corporate accountability across the region.

A panel hosted by the Foundation for International Human Rights Reporting Standards examined the proposed law and what it would take to move beyond audits and compliance.

The discussion focused on the root causes of exploitation, including recruitment debt, wage vulnerability, and power imbalances in supply chains.

Walk Free’s Business and Government Engagement Senior Advisor, Catherine Parsons highlighted how human rights due diligence often fails where risk is least visible.

“The greatest risks are frequently found beyond tier 1 suppliers, in labour recruitment systems, labour intermediaries, outsourced services, raw material production, and informal workforces. These are precisely the parts of supply chains where companies often have the least visibility and the weakest direct relationships,” she said.

“What needs to change is a shift from supplier-focused due diligence to worker-centred due diligence. Companies need stronger worker engagement, better grievance mechanisms, improved transparency around recruitment pathways, and greater collaboration across sectors to identify risks that no single company can see on its own.”

Effective human rights due diligence must be grounded in workers’ lived experiences. It must also be linked to meaningful remedy and accountability.

Thailand has an estimated 401,000 people living in modern slavery, showing why stronger protections and accountability are needed.

Sor. Rattanamanee Polkla, co-founder of Walk Free’s local partner Community Resource Centre Foundation, discussed gaps in Thailand’s existing legal and accountability framework.

She emphasised the importance of effective Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development National Contact Points alongside mandatory human rights due diligence legislation.

These mechanisms help prevent harm, ensure meaningful participation, and provide effective remedy, including in cross-border cases.

These developments provide important lessons for Australia as it considers strengthening its own Modern Slavery Act.

Introducing mandatory due diligence alongside stronger penalties would strengthen Australia’s corporate accountability framework.

This would also bring Australia closer to growing international efforts to ensure businesses identify and address exploitation in their operations and supply chains.

The growing momentum across Asia-Pacific shows corporate accountability moving beyond voluntary commitments toward greater legal responsibility.

Australia has an opportunity to strengthen its Modern Slavery Act and keep pace with these regional developments.