Aotearoa New Zealand is one of the few OECD countries without modern slavery legislation. However, Kiwi businesses cannot afford to ignore this responsibility.

Transparent and ethical supply chains are essential for businesses wanting to export, secure finance and insurance, and achieve tendering advantages in procurement.

Join Eco Choice Aotearoa and Edge Impact for a vital conversation on modern slavery and human rights risks in your value chain. Learn how your business can not only mitigate risks but also build a strong business case for taking proactive steps to identify, manage and prevent these issues.

This event is NZIA (Te Kāhui Whaihanga NZ Institute of Architects) approved and attending the workshop will qualify for 20 CPD points.

We'll cover:

An overview of modern slavery and human rights, and how they impact your business.
The updated modern slavery and social accountability requirements in Eco Choice standards and the rationale behind them.
What your business needs to know to meet global trade expectations and obligations.
The investment, lending, and insurance implications for businesses with modern slavery risks in their value chain, and how these factors influence investor portfolios and confidence.

Our Speakers

Facilitated by Laura Gemmell, CEO of Eco Choice Aotearoa, and emceed by David Maucor, NZ Principal at Edge Impact, you'll also hear from:

Dr Andrea Edwards, Head of Standards at Eco Choice Aotearoa. Andrea not only has a PhD in Environmental Science from the University of Auckland, but is currently conducting a study on the drivers and impacts of environmental injustice on ethnic communities in Tāmaki Makaurau. Outside of her environmental work, Andrea is a programme facilitator with the Peace Foundation; responsible for teaching conflict resolution skills to secondary students
Rebecca Kingi, ESG Initiatives Lead at ANZ. Rebecca is a subject matter expert in human trafficking, slavery, and labour rights and exploitation, as well as modern slavery and human rights risks in operations and supply chains. With a background in commercial litigation, employment law, and dispute resolution, Rebecca transitioned to human rights practice, engaging in strategic litigation and providing legal representation to survivors of labour exploitation and human trafficking. Throughout her career she has advised governments and stakeholders on modern slavery legislation and delivered training to businesses, public authorities, and frontline organisations. She co-authored the Combating Trafficking in Person and Modern Forms of Slavery Bill, published in December 2025 as a proposed way forward to improve New Zealand’s legislative settings. In her current role, she leads ANZ NZ’s efforts to combat modern slavery and focuses on the ‘S’ in ESG
Nick Dexter, Principal Consultant, Human Rights & Modern Slavery Lead at Edge Impact. Nick is passionate about the intersection of business and human rights. His work spans international field research, the development of traceability systems, and designing governance frameworks that help procurement teams build trust and accountability across high-risk supply chains. Currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Wollongong, Nick is developing an accountability framework grounded in direct worker voice data — aiming to address exploitation at an industry-wide level.
Jack McLuskie, Senior Advisor with Employment New Zealand, MBIE. Jack McLuskie is a Senior Advisor with Employment New Zealand, New Zealand’s labour market regulator. Jack works with business and organisation leaders, enabling them to ensure fair workplaces as employers, procurers, franchisors, recruiters, directors and investors. Jack is an employment lawyer with a background in private practice. He is also the Vice President of the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand’s Canterbury Branch. This background and keen interest in ensuring fair workplaces saw Jack join Employment New Zealand in 2024.

Agenda

4:00pm - Arrival & networking (tea and coffee provided)
4:30pm - Panel discussion
5:45pm to 6:00pm - Event Finishes (light catering will be provided)

Contact the host of Modern Slavery in Value Chains: Business Risks and Responsibilities

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