MILWAUKEE, Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The fight to end modern day slavery enters a new phase today with a call from Manpower Inc. (NYSE:MAN) to 1,000 of the world’s largest companies to help end human trafficking.
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In January 2006, Manpower Inc., a world leader in the employment services industry, was the first global corporation to sign up to the Athens Ethical Principles. The Principles declare a “zero tolerance” policy for working with any entity benefiting in any way from human trafficking, including clients, vendors and business partners. The Athens Ethical Principles are an initiative of the “End Human Trafficking Now!” (EHTN!) campaign, built on a partnership of corporations, organizations and committed individuals, and is championed by the Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement. The campaign is endorsed by a host of global organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Labor Organization.
“Trafficking human beings is now the third largest illegal industry on the planet, following only arms and drug smuggling,” said David Arkless, Manpower Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Special Envoy for the EHTN! campaign. “It is a modern form of slavery and no matter where companies are operating, their supply chains could be benefiting from trafficking. We cannot ignore this exploitation and we encourage other companies to join us in standing against this industry.”
An estimated 12.3 million people are forced into labor or sexual servitude every year worldwide. The International Labor Organization estimates that $32 billion is earned annually from forced labor, while sexual exploitation of women and children brings in $28 billion.
Companies can sign up for the Athens Ethical Principles and learn more about the End Human Trafficking Now! campaign by going to Manpower’s website at http://www.manpower.com/mpcom/content.jsp?articleid=449 or the Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement at http://www.endhumantraffickingnow.com/ .
In October 2006, Manpower Inc. expanded its social responsibility program to encompass a broader range of initiatives that build upon its heritage as the industry leader in workforce development for more than 50 years. The company’s expanded social responsibility platform leverages Manpower’s history of innovation in providing a bridge to employment for disadvantaged individuals and extends these efforts to additional groups of people in need of assistance. The four pillars of the company’s social responsibility platform are: workforce development, disaster recovery, reaching out to refugees and combating human trafficking. For more information on Manpower’s global social responsibility program, go to the Social Responsibility section on the company’s corporate website, http://www.manpower.com/ .
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. The $16 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 4,400 offices in 72 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 http://www.manpower.com/ .
About The Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement
The Suzanne Mubarak Women’s International Peace Movement (SMWIPM) is a non-profit, non-governmental international association established in 2003. The first of its kind in the Middle East, it was created to harness the energy and creativity of all segments of society in the realization of a vision of peace. This vision is based on a spirit of solidarity between peoples, on shared values and a mutual understanding of their common destiny. SMWIPM is strongly committed to strengthening the involvement of women in peace-building initiatives by highlighting alternative perspectives, exploring various options and ensuring that all efforts are attuned to human needs. SMWIPM has translated its interest in achieving the ambitious goal of stopping Human Trafficking into a workable Action Plan, based on the Ethical Principles drawn up in cooperation with business community in Athens at the beginning of this year (2006).
