b'GOVERNANCE| LEGAL SECTOR| 2022 CODE OF CONDUCTSUSTAINABILITY INSIGHTSOCIAL ENTERPRISES AND AFFIRMATIVE PURCHASINGSocial enterprise is a business with specific social objectives that serve its primary purpose and are becoming increasingly relevant in supply chains to law firms. Social enterprises seek to make profits while maximising benefits to society and the environment. Often their earnings can be used to fund associated social programs. Social enterprises also provide many existing products and services used by law firms. Catering services, stationery supplies, corporate gifts, artwork and coffee and fruit supplies are all available through social enterprises. These providers can supply goods and services that deliberately focus on providing social benefits as a planned associated benefit of their business. Law firms can also seek to support groups such as indigenous businesses through their purchasing decisions. One example is Supply Nation, a government-endorsed program providing information and a directory to assist organisations in locating indigenous service providers.Information on sustainable procurement is also becoming more widely available, with the emergence of a range of resources and tools being compiled by NGOs and businesses.Modern SlaveryAccording to the Global Modern Slavery Index an estimated 40.3 million men, women, and children were victims of modern slavery on any given day in 2016. Of these, 24.9 million people were in forced labour, and 15.4 million people were living in a forced marriage. Women and girls are vastly over-represented, making up seventy-one per cent of victims. In the past five years, 89 million people experienced some form of modern slavery for periods of time and collectively, approximately US$150 billion per year is generated in the global private economy from forced labour. Modern slavery is most prevalent in Asia and the Pacific region. Sixty-two per cent of all people enslaved, or twenty-five million people in Asia-Pacific Region are enslaved, including 4,300 people in Australia.Australias new Modern Slavery Act 2018 Act was passed by parliament on 29 November 2018 and came into effect on 1 January 2019. The new legislation consolidates Australian law within the Modern Slavery Act. It introduces new corporate disclosures and reporting provisions, requiring public disclosure within six months after each organisations financial reporting period ends.The NSW Modern Slavery Act was passed and assented to legislation in June 2018, requiring commercial organisations with an annual turnover of $50 million or more to produce a Modern Slavery Statement on the incidence of modern slavery in their supply chains. On 1 January 2022, 2021, the NSW Parliament passed the Modern Slavery Amendment Act 2021 (NSW). The result is that commercial organisations will no longer have to report under the NSW legislation (noting that the Commonwealth legislation may still apply for companies with annual consolidated revenue of greater than AUD$100 million).The Commonwealth Acts seek to ensure that companies have a publicly available modern slavery statement for customers and the public to scrutinise. This enables consumers and contractual counterparties to assess, make decisions and participate in a debate about ethical supply chains.INITIATIVES MODERN SLAVERY MANAGEMENTFEDERAL MODERN SLAVERY COMPLIANCE UN Global Compact & SDGs 27% MODERN SLAVERY PROGRAM Fair consumer & competition practices 36% Community development 64% Fraud bribery & corruption 68% 49% Diversity and Inclusion 73% Gender equality 77% Indigenous inclusion 82% Environmental impacts 86%46% Human rights 86% Modern Slavery 91%Participation 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%80'