Australian Human Rights Commission Submission to the UN Committee On The Elimination Of Racial Discrimination, 30 October 2017 requirements will apply to Australian governments, despite them having supply chains of significant scale. The Commission notes that a national consultation process to refine the Australian Government’s proposed model is underway. 201. The Commission welcomes the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia. The Commission also notes the Joint Committee’s recommendation that the Australian Government consider supporting in-principle the development of a Modern Slavery Act in Australia, including:  supply chain reporting requirements for companies, businesses, organisations and governments in Australia, and  an Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner, subject to reviewing the recommendations of the Committee’s final report.244 Recommendation 43: That the Australian Government legislate a Modern Slavery Act in Australia. Procurement 202. The Commonwealth Procurement Rules do not explicitly refer to human rights. The Commission notes that the Australian regulatory framework is insufficient to prevent human rights abuses from occurring in Commonwealth procurement.245 203. A parliamentary committee has recommended that the Australian Government develop a procurement policy requiring Commonwealth agencies to evaluate suppliers’ compliance with human rights regulation.246 Another parliamentary committee has noted that consideration of modern slavery risks should be included in this procurement policy.247 Recommendation 44: That the Australian Government amend the Commonwealth Procurement Rules to align with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, including in regard to human rights due diligence in procurement. 38