On 2 September the National Catholic Education Commission joined the Australian Catholic Anti-slavery Network (ACAN) to commit to assessing and addressing modern slavery risks in operations and supply chains.

NCEC joins a growing number of Catholic education bodies including state and territory commissions, education offices, Religious Institute and Ministerial PJP authorities, and universities, to join as an ACAN participant. 

ACAN brings together Catholic entities to leverage their collective purchasing spend, share resources and coordinate action to manage modern slavery risk across their industry sectors.

National Catholic Education executive director Jacinta Collins said joining ACAN will enable Catholic education to engage in reporting requirements and to address risks of modern slavery.

The ACAN emerged as a key recommendation from a conference in July 2019, organised by the Sydney Archdiocesan Anti-Slavery Taskforce in order to support Catholic entities to comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2018.

The Sydney Archdiocesan Anti-Slavery Taskforce chair John McCarthy QC said today the risk that a product or service is tainted with exploitation and forced labour somewhere in the supply chain occurs in almost all industries.

"All countries are affected and so too are the supply chains of Catholic entities in Australia," he said in the ACAN's 2020 compendium of modern slavery statements.

Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs James Wood said I’m really encouraged to see the collaboration that’s happening across the supply chains of Australia’s largest Catholic organisations - in education, health and aged care, dioceses and community services, finance and investment sectors.

"Collaboration across industry groups and sectors is vital to addressing modern slavery," Minister Wood said in a video message.  

"I’d like to say a big thank you to the 40-plus Catholic organisations in the Australian Catholic Anti-slavery Network."

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