Tim Nelson & Dr. Laura Murphy will open ethica26.

Senior leader TBC (government, NGO, or global brand) on why human rights are a defining issue for supply chain resilience.

In this powerful keynote address, Caroline Haughey OBE KC—one of the UK’s leading experts on modern slavery and human trafficking—explores the potential cost to business when human rights risks in supply chains are ignored or underestimated.

Expert legal update from Global Laaw Firm, Jones Day on the UK Modern Slavery Act, EU CSDDD, EU forced labour import ban and beyond and what boards must prepare for.

How investors are increasingly assessing human rights and forced-labour exposure as a material risk affecting long-term value, governance, and access to capital.

What boards and senior leaders need to understand about investor scrutiny, stewardship expectations, and the consequences of weak oversight or ineffective response.

Where investor, regulatory, and enforcement perspectives are converging and what this means for corporate decision-making in practice.

A chance to network with fellow peers.

How senior leaders move human rights from a compliance obligation to a core leadership and governance priority embedded across the organisation.

The role of boards, executive teams, and procurement leadership in driving culture change, aligning incentives, and resourcing meaningful action.

What commitment looks like in practice — including the trade-offs, internal resistance, and decisions leaders must make to move beyond policies and statements.

What “good” human rights due diligence and supply-chain practice looks like across sectors, drawing on independent insight from organisations that work with multiple businesses globally.

The common strengths, gaps, and misconceptions seen in corporate approaches — and what differentiates leaders from laggards in practice, not on paper.

How expectations are evolving and where companies should focus effort to move from policy compliance to effective implementation.

Speakers:

Giles Bolton Executive Director ETI, David Schofield Chair UN Global Compact Network (UK) , Rachel Hartley Consultancy Director Slave-Free Alliance.

This session explores how AstraZeneca is strengthening supply‑chain resilience by embedding human‑rights considerations into procurement decision‑making. Rob will discuss how ethical sourcing, supplier engagement, due‑diligence practices are evolving from compliance exercises into strategic levers that protect business continuity, reduce operational vulnerabilities, and support long‑term value creation.

Speaker: Rob Williams- Senior Procurement Director

How organisations should respond when allegations of forced labour or serious human rights abuse arise — from initial escalation and investigation through to transparent decision-making.

What credible corporate response looks like in practice, including governance, communication, investor scrutiny, and avoiding actions that inadvertently harm workers.

What meaningful worker remedy involves beyond process and policy — restoring rights, protecting workers from retaliation, and ensuring long-term remediation outcomes.

Where companies commonly fail, and the practical lessons leaders can apply to strengthen preparedness before issues emerge.

Modorated by Giles Bolton Excutive Director of ETI

Panelists: Rachel Hartley Slave- Alliance ; Dame Sara Thornton, CCLA; Andrew Wallace, Unseen; Malaika Oringo, Footprints to Freedom

SSE will share:

How human rights due diligence is built into project design and delivery from the outset

How it manages risk in large capital projects

What embedding Human Rights Due Diligence looks like in practice.

Speaker:

Esther Black - Head of Social & Economic Sustainability

Novartis Labour Rights 2.0: Strengthening Human Rights Through Stakeholder Engagement

This session outlines how Novartis is evolving its Labour Rights 2.0 programme to deepen engagement with workers, suppliers, and other rights‑holders across its global value chain.

Speaker:

Peter Nestor- Global Head of Human Rights Novartis

What businesses need to understand about state-linked forced labour risk, particularly in complex and opaque sourcing environments, and why traditional due-diligence approaches often fall short.

How companies can identify indirect exposure to high-risk labour practices across multi-tier supply chains, including through raw materials, intermediaries, and subcontracting.

The practical implications for boards and senior leaders, including governance, risk assessment, escalation, and decision-making in the face of limited transparency and geopolitical constraints.

How regulatory, investor, and enforcement expectations are evolving — and what organisations should be doing now to strengthen risk awareness, preparedness, and defensible decision-making.

Speaker:

Dr. Laura Murphy

The key regulatory, standards, and enforcement developments that boards and senior leaders need to be preparing for over the next 12–24 months, including emerging expectations beyond current compliance requirements.

How global norms, legislation, investor scrutiny, and standards (including forthcoming ISO developments) are converging — and what this means for corporate governance, risk management, and assurance.

How technological advance will help companies improve their approach to human rights risk

Practical priorities for leaders as they look ahead: where to invest capability, strengthen governance, and focus attention in an increasingly complex operating environment.

Chairs reflect on the day’s themes and share next steps for action.