Episode Details

Dr. Sandie Morgan is joined by Ambassador John Cotton Richmond to discuss the intersection of business and human rights. Together they look at how the conversations in board rooms is shifting to discussions on their supply chains, exploitation, and other impacts that their business has on the communities around them.

John Cotton Richmond

Ambassador Richmond is an attorney and diplomat focused on ethical business, human rights, democracy, and rule of law. He served in the country’s highest position dedicated to combating human trafficking as a U.S. Ambassador where he led U.S. foreign policy in the global fight for freedom. As a Partner at Dentons, Ambassador Richmond helps companies keep their supply chains and workforces free of human trafficking. He was named one of the federal “Prosecutors of the Year,” after a decade successfully trying complex police misconduct, cross-burning, neo-Nazi hate crimes, forced labor, and sex trafficking cases across the country. Ambassador Richmond is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, frequent expert for the United Nations, and frequent speaker on justice, freedom, leadership, faith, and vocation.

Key Points

• Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) – corporations paying more attention to how their supply chain affects people
• Disclosure requirements and public awareness is shifting the conversation in corporate boardrooms to look more closely at their sourcing.
• Business can address global poverty because a well run business that pays fair wages leads to economic prosperity for families and communities.
• Addressing poverty as we emerge from the pandemic:
  • investing in surrounding communities that were most damaged
  • improving the rule of law
  • developing programs that provide tailored services for survivors
• Consumers play a part through how we vote with our wallet and putting pressure on companies for ethical sourcing.

Resources

• California Transparency in Supply Chains Act
• Modern Slavery Act
• Ep. 266 – Rescuing Boys Labor Trafficked in the Fishing Industry with Chris Field
• John Cotton Richmond’s website
• ILAB – 2020 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor
• Ep. 262 – Human-Centered Design with Shauntina Sorrells
• Ensure Justice Conference – March 4-5 , 2022

Love the show? Consider supporting us on Patreon! Become a Patron

Transcript

Dave [00:00:00] You’re listening to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast, this is episode number 267, The Intersection of Business and Human Rights with John Cotton Richmond.

Production Credits [00:00:10] Produced by Innovate Learning, maximizing human potential.

Dave [00:00:31] Welcome to the Ending Human Trafficking podcast. My name is Dave Stachowiak.

Sandie [00:00:36] And my name is Sandie Morgan.

Dave [00:00:38] And this is the show where we empower you to study the issues, be a voice, and make a dif