At the Ethical Supply Chains panel at the World Justice Forum IV, participants discussed the relationship between productive business and labor rights.
While international supply chains help meet global consumer demand, inexpensive goods often come at the expense of workers and their communities. Too often, inexpensive labor results in human rights violations and environmental degradation. Panelists considered the following questions: What are the best means for creating ethical and sustainable supply chains that are also profitable for business? What strategies and models exist for meeting and implementing existing international labor and environmental laws, norms, and codes of conduct? What are effective ways to monitor, measure, and rectify restrictions to justice? How do we educate consumers about their choices?
Moderator
Margaret Levi, Jere L. Bacharach Professor of International Studies, Department of Political Science, University of Washington; Chair in Politics, U.S. Studies Centre, University of Sydney (USA/Australia)
Panelists
Sheri Flies, Assistant General Merchandising Manager, Costco Wholesale Corp. (USA)
Ou Virak, President, Cambodian Center on Human Rights (Cambodia)
Katie Quan, Associate Chair, UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (USA)
Auret van Heerden, President & CEO, Fair Labor Association (South Africa)
Mark your calendar! On October 28th, the World Justice Project will release the 2025 WJP Rule of Law Index®, our flagship measure of how the rule of law is experienced and perceived around the globe.
To strengthen global understanding of access to justice, the World Justice Project has developed the Global Legal Needs Survey (GLNS)—the first effort to collect comparable data on how people experience and resolve legal problems worldwide. Conducted in over 100 countries between 2017 and 2024, the survey captures the voices of more than 100,000 people, shedding light on the most common legal challenges, sources of help, and the real-life impact of justice problems.
On July 2, 2025, the World Justice Project (WJP) was honored to participate in the United Kingdom House of Lords Constitution Committee’s official inquiry into the rule of law. This invitation followed WJP’s written submission and marked an invaluable opportunity to support evidence-based policymaking in the United Kingdom.
It is with incredibly heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our founder and dear friend, William H. Neukom, known to all of us simply as Bill.
Bill was the driving force behind the World Justice Project (WJP), and his absence leaves a profound void in the soul of our organization. His belief in justice was unwavering. His deep humanity and his remarkable gift for bringing people together—regardless of background or origin—shaped everything we do at WJP.