MichaelA.Posner AssistantSecretary BureauofDemocracy,HumanRightsandLabor U.S.DepartmentofState WashingtonD.C. EricBiel ActingAssociateDeputyUndersecretary BureauofInternationalLaborAffairs U.S.DepartmentofLabor WashingtonD.C. DarciVetter DeputyUnderSecretary FarmandForeignAgriculturalServices U.S.DepartmentofAgriculture WashingtonD.C.

C. August7,2012

TheInternationalCorporateAccountabilityRoundtable(ICAR)isacoalitionofleadinghuman rights,developmentandenvironmentalorganizationsworkingtoidentifyandpromoterobust frameworksforcorporateaccountability,strengthencurrentmeasuresanddefendexisting laws,policiesandlegalprecedents. WecommendtheBureauofDemocracy,HumanRights,andLabor(DRL),theBureauof InternationalLaborAffairs(ILAB),andFarmandForeignAgriculturalServices(FFAS)for reachingouttoabroadstakeholdergrouptodiscusstheimplementationoftheGuidelinesfor EliminatingChildandForcedLaborinAgriculturalSupplyChains(Guidelines),asdevelopedby theConsultativeGrouptoEliminatetheUseofChildLaborandForcedLaborinAgricultural Products(ConsultativeGroup). AlthoughICARgenerallysupportsstrong,legalenforcementmechanismstoensurethe promotionandprotectionofhumanrights,werecognizethattheGuidelinesareastrong articulationofrightsprotectivestandardsandcouldserveasausefultoolinthecorporate

accountabilitytoolbelt.WeencouragetheU.S.Governmenttocontinueitseffortstopromote andimplementtheGuidelines,andweofferthefollowingcommentsasourrecommendations forwhattheU.S.governmentshoulddotoensurethemaximumuptakeoftheGuidelines. DRL,ILAB,andFFASmustensurethattheGuidelinesarewidelydisseminated. InorderfortheGuidelinestohavethemostpositiveeffectincurbingtheincidenceofchildand forcedlaborinagriculturalproducts,itiscrucialthattheDRL,ILAB,andFFAScontinuetowidely disseminatetheGuidelines.ItiscriticalthatallU.S.companiesestablishrobustcorporate policiestocurbtheuseofchildlaborandforcedlaborintheirsupplychainsthroughadhering totheseGuidelines;theDRL,ILABandFFASmustensurethatbusinessarenotonlyawareof theGuidelines,buthaveadequateinformationandsupportintheirinstitutional implementationofthem. DRL,ILAB,andFFASshouldcontinuetoencouragecompaniesinallagriculturalsectorsto researchtheirsupplychainsandtesttheirapplicationoftheguidelines. AsstatedintheU.N.GuidingPrinciplesonBusinessandHumanRights,thecorporatedutyto respecthumanrightsappliestoallcorporateenterprisesregardlessofsize,sector, organizationalcontext,ownership,andstructure.1Assuch,theDRL,ILAB,andFFASmust ensurethattheGuidelinesapplytoallagriculturalsectorsandenterprises. IthasbeensuggestedthattheGuidelineswillbeparticularlydifficulttoimplementinindustries thatsourcefromsmallshareholderfarms.Intheinterestofbeingmostprotectiveof vulnerablepeoplesuchaschildandforcedlaborers,however,itisimperativethatthese industriesareincludedincompaniesinvestigationsoftheirsupplychains.Inindustriesthat poseuniquechallenges,theDRL,ILAB,andFFASshouldconsiderhowcorporationscan effectivelyconductduediligencetoensurethepromotionandprotectionofallworkershuman rights. Inaddition,DRL,ILAB,andFFASshouldencourageallcompaniestoresearchtheirsupplychains andtesttheirownapplicationoftheGuidelines.ThroughICARsengagementwiththeconflict mineralsprovisionoftheDoddFrankAct,1502,wehaveseensuccessesascompaniesand industrygroupshavebeguntoexaminesupplychainsandimplementduediligenceprocedures. Notably,companiessuchasMotorolaandIntelhavetravelledtotheminingareastoexamine theirimpacts,theWorldGoldCouncilandthetinindustryareworkingtodevelopconflictfree standards,andtheOECDhasdevelopedduediligenceguidelinestopromoteglobalcoherence.

HumanRightsCouncil,JohnRuggie,GuidingPrinciplesonBusinessandHumanRights:ImplementingtheUnited NationsProtect,RespectandRemedyFramework,UNDoc.A/HRC/17/31atII.A.14(Mar.21,2011)(advance editededition)availableathttp://www.businesshumanrights.org/media/documents/ruggie/ruggieguiding principles21mar2011.pdf.

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AsDRL,ILAB,andFFASimplementandpromotetheGuidelines,weexpecttoseesimilar successeswithregardtoagriculturallaborsupplychains. TheU.S.Governmentshouldensurethatallvictimshaveaccesstoastategrievance mechanism. Asstatedabove,ICARsupportslegallyenforceableaccountabilitymechanisms,includingaccess tojudicialprocesses,toensurethepromotionandprotectionofhumanrights.Intheabsence oflegallyenforceablemechanisms,webelieveitisimperativethattheDRL,ILAB,andFFAS provideaccesstoastategrievancemechanismforvictimsofchildandforcedlaborinthe agriculturalsector. Workersandlocalcivilsocietymusthaveanopportunitytolodgecomplaintsandobtain remedyagainstcompanies,thirdpartymonitors,andthirdpartyverifiers.Wetherefore encourageDRL,ILAB,andFFAStocreateanofficeofanombudspersonthatwouldacceptand investigatecomplaints(includinganonymouscomplaints),conductdisputeresolution,andoffer recommendationsforremediationtothecompanyandotherapplicablestakeholders.The grievanceprocessmustbeaccessibleandtransparent.Appropriatecontactinformationand theprocessforfilingacomplaintmustbemadeavailabletoworkersandcivilsocietyina conspicuouslocationandinalanguagetheyunderstand. Again,wethankDRL,ILAB,andFFASfortakingonthisimportantissueandforreachingouttoa broadrangeofstakeholderstoensureeffectiveimplementationoftheGuidelines.Welook forwardtocontinueddiscussiononthisimportanttopic. Yourssincerely,

AmolMehra Coordinator InternationalCorporateAccountabilityRoundtable amol@accountabilityroundtable.org