Which strategies support addressing modern slavery in supply chains?

• A. Isolating suppliers and avoiding audits
• B. Relying solely on third-party certifications
• C. Ignoring supplier conduct
• D. Supplier audits, remediation, codes of conduct, traceability, transparency

Answer: (D)

Addressing modern slavery in supply chains requires a governance approach that combines prevention, detection, and accountability. Audits help uncover where abuses or risks exist, and remediation ensures that workers are protected and that root problems are corrected rather than just identified. Codes of conduct set clear expectations for suppliers and provide a basis for enforcement. Traceability lets a company map materials and components back through the supply chain, so no part of the chain remains hidden. Transparency shares information about sourcing practices, progress, and challenges with stakeholders, which builds trust and invites external scrutiny that can drive continual improvement.

This integrated approach covers multiple angles: audits identify issues, remediation fixes them, codes of conduct establish standards, traceability reveals who is responsible across the chain, and transparency keeps the process open to accountability. In contrast, isolating suppliers and avoiding audits cuts off visibility and undermines risk management. Relying solely on third-party certifications can be insufficient because certifications may not reflect current conditions throughout complex supply networks. Ignoring supplier conduct is a fundamental failure of due diligence.