Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) announced today that President of Corporate and Government Affairs David Arkless will lead a working session on ending human trafficking at the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative Thursday in New York City.
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"It's an honor to be a part of convening some of the world's leading thinkers to consider how we can work together to end human trafficking," Arkless said. "As Manpower stands for the dignity of work and employment opportunities for all, we must lead the way in stopping human trafficking through our own actions, as well as by lobbying, generating awareness and reaching out to our peers."
Manpower Inc. was the first company to sign the Athens Ethical Principles, which declare a "zero tolerance" policy for working with any entity, which benefits in any way, from human trafficking. This includes Manpower clients, vendors and business partners. Manpower's effort to engage more companies in support of the Principles has resulted in more than 12,000 organizations signing up directly, or through the commitment of their industry federations.
The purpose of Arkless' working group is to identify practical solutions for partnerships between different sectors to end human trafficking and forced labor. Participants in this session will include Luis CdeBaca, Ambassador and Director of the US Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons; Swanee Hunt; Ambassador and Harvard University academic; Sophie Gasperment, Global CEO of The Body Shop; Ndioro Ndiaye; President of the Alliance for Migration, Leadership and Development; Julia Ormond, Founder & President of the Alliance to Stop Slavery and End Trafficking (ASSET) and Kailash Satyarthi, Chairperson, Global March Against Child Labour.
Ricky Martin, Goodwill Ambassador to UNICEF, will also make a presentation during the discussion, followed by break-out sessions led by anti-trafficking practitioners from around the world. These experts include Dan Viederman, CEO of Verite; Mark Lagon, CEO of POLARIS; Kellie McElhaney, Former Director, Center for Corporate Responsibility of the Haas Business School at the University of California - Berkeley; Alison Warhurst, Founder of MapleCroft and David Batstone, President of the Not for Sale Campaign.
Batstone, a journalist and anti-trafficking leader, has called Manpower a "super corporate ally." He says, "David Arkless is in an elite group of individuals who truly understand how the laws regulating each country's labor recruiting can create ambiguity where coercive and manipulative labor recruiters find opportunity to thrive. In order to solve this problem, we are going to need more individuals and partners like Manpower, who understand what the global talent pool looks like today: the industries that need it, the recruiters that find it, and the regulations that police it. "
Since its founding in 2005 by former President Bill Clinton, more than 80 current and former heads of state; hundreds of leading CEOs, philanthropists, and NGO leaders; and 10 of the last 16 Nobel Peace Prize laureates have attended CGI. This year, US President Barack Obama and leading voices from every sector are taking action on solving four major global challenges: innovation, infrastructure, human capital and the global economy.
Through programs initiated by its local operations throughout the world, Manpower provides people from all walks of life with sustainable livelihoods and helps the disadvantaged and disenfranchised survive and thrive by linking them to work. Manpower's role as an agent of positive social change, particularly in the area of workforce development, forms the cornerstone of the company's corporate citizenship program. Manpower also recently introduced a new global procurement procedure designed to ensure that all its vendors adhere to the company's strict guidelines to eliminate forced labor, human trafficking and corrupt business practices.
About Manpower Inc.
Manpower Inc. (NYSE: MAN) is a world leader in the employment services industry; creating and delivering services that enable its clients to win in the changing world of work. With over 60 years' experience, the $22 billion company offers employers a range of services for the entire employment and business cycle including permanent, temporary and contract recruitment; employee assessment and selection; training; outplacement; outsourcing and consulting. Manpower's worldwide network of 4,100 offices in 82 countries and territories enables the company to meet the needs of its 400,000 clients per year, including small and medium size enterprises in all industry sectors, as well as the world's largest multinational corporations. The focus of Manpower's work is on raising productivity through improved quality, efficiency and cost-reduction across their total workforce, enabling clients to concentrate on their core business activities. Manpower Inc. operates under five brands: Manpower, Manpower Professional, Elan, Jefferson Wells and Right Management. More information on Manpower Inc. is available at www.manpower.com.
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FCMN Contact: linda.granrose@na.manpower.com
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SOURCE: Manpower Inc.
CONTACT: Marci Pelzer of Manpower Inc., +1-414-906-7670,
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Web Site: http://www.manpower.com/
