From 24–26 November, I had the privilege of joining hundreds of practitioners, advocates, academics, and business leaders in Geneva for the 2025 United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights. Every year, the Forum provides a critical space for honest discussion and collective action on how companies can respect human rights in practice—not just on paper. This year was no exception.
Co-Hosting Conversations on Open Supply Chain Data
Supply chain transparency remains one of the most powerful—and contested—areas in the business and human rights landscape. That’s why I was honored to co-host discussions with Wikirate, Open Supply Hub, and the Clean Clothes Campaign, focusing on a shared challenge:
How can we ensure that supply chain data is open, accessible, and trustworthy?
Across our sessions, participants from civil society, academia, international organizations, and global brands emphasized just how essential open data is—not only for accountability, but for coordination, risk identification, and early intervention. Many also shared the same concern: without collaboration and aligned efforts, data alone will never be enough.
A Community Committed to Change
What stood out throughout the Forum was the diversity of people working toward the same goal from different angles: researchers mapping opacity in global value chains, labor advocates documenting worker experiences, companies experimenting with more transparent reporting models, and multilateral bodies trying to harmonize standards.
The conversations—whether in a panel discussion or over coffee—reinforced one clear message:
Transparency has impact only when it helps protect people.
That principle is core to our work at Supply Trace.
Why We Do What We Do at Supply Trace
At Supply Trace, our mission is to identify risks to vulnerable workers in global supply chains—and to do so in a way that transcends traditional industry silos. We recognize that no single organization can uncover, contextualize, and address labor risks on its own. That’s why collaboration is at the center of our model.
We focus on three core commitments:
1. Partnering to Surface Hidden Labor Risks
We work closely with academics, researchers, and NGOs who are on the front lines of documenting working conditions and worker vulnerability. Together, we connect their on-the-ground and analytical insights with open-source intelligence to surface risks that are otherwise invisible.
2. Creating Space for Knowledge Sharing, Collaboration, and Innovation
Supply Trace provides a platform—not just a tool. We convene practitioners across sectors to share findings, test ideas, and strengthen methodologies that make supply chain transparency more reliable and actionable.
3. Turning Data Into Action
Data is meaningful only when it leads to change. Our work focuses on translating open information into early-warning signals, risk assessments, and practical insights that help companies, advocates, and policymakers intervene before harm occurs.
Looking Ahead
Leaving Geneva, I am encouraged by the momentum behind collaborative, data-driven approaches to protecting workers. The challenges remain complex—fragmented reporting systems, uneven regulatory landscapes, and resource constraints across the Global South—but the energy at this year’s Forum made something else clear:
We are collectively moving toward a future where transparency is not merely a compliance exercise, but a tool for dignity, agency, and accountability.
To everyone who joined our sessions, contributed ideas, or shared challenges: thank you. These conversations are the foundation of real progress. At Supply Trace, we look forward to building on this dialogue as we continue our work to make global supply chains safer, fairer, and more transparent for all.
