Opaque Transparency: Why California’s Supply Chain Transparency Act is Unenforceable

Traffickers are dynamic, fluid operators; reacting well to consumer demand, under-regulated economic sectors, and easily adapting to exploit weaknesses in prevailing laws. Corporate globalization of storefronts and extensive manufacturing supply chains have contributed to human trafficking becoming...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Benjamin Thomas Greer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law 2018-03-01
Series:Oñati Socio-Legal Series
Subjects:
Online Access:http://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/899
Description
Summary:Traffickers are dynamic, fluid operators; reacting well to consumer demand, under-regulated economic sectors, and easily adapting to exploit weaknesses in prevailing laws. Corporate globalization of storefronts and extensive manufacturing supply chains have contributed to human trafficking becoming the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. California&rsquo;s legislative and social experiments are often models other governments look to for guidance. California is the first government to require businesses to disclose their anti-trafficking supply chain policies to their consumers. Under the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010 (CATSCA), large retailer sellers must conspicuously disclose on their web site their policies, <em>if any</em>, to detect and fight slave labor within their supply chain. This article explores the requirements of the CATSCA and will examine the legal effectiveness of the California transparency framework.<br /><br /> Los traficantes son agentes din&aacute;micos, de gran fluidez: reaccionan bien a la demanda de los consumidores y a los sectores econ&oacute;micos sin regular, y se adaptan f&aacute;cilmente para explotar las debilidades de las leyes vigentes. La globalizaci&oacute;n corporativa de los comercios y de las grandes cadenas de suministro ha contribuido a que el tr&aacute;fico de personas se haya convertido en el negocio criminal de crecimiento m&aacute;s r&aacute;pido en el mundo. El gobierno de California ha sido el primero en exigir que los negocios revelen a sus clientes su pol&iacute;tica anti-tr&aacute;fico. El llamado California Transparency in Supply Chains Act (CATSCA), de 2010, obliga a los mayoristas a publicar en sus sitios web, de forma preeminente, las pol&iacute;ticas que siguen -<em> caso de que las tengan</em> - para detectar y combatir el trabajo en esclavitud dentro de su cadena de suministro. Este art&iacute;culo explora los requisitos del CATSCA y examina la efectividad legal de las normas sobre transparencia de California.<br /><br /> <strong>DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: </strong><a href="http://ssrn.com/abstract=3082186" target="_blank">http://ssrn.com/abstract=3082186</a>
ISSN:2079-5971