We help organisations turn human rights principles into practical action

Fair Futures was founded to empower organisations to be at the forefront of social change whether its stamping out modern slavery or championing sustainability. Bit by bit, we are working to reshape entire industries to put the wellbeing of people and our planet at their centre. We demystify fine principles to make the path to justice and safety accessible for all.

Following in the footsteps of our Founder & CEO Fiona David, Fair Futures is utilising high-level policy insights, expertise, and deeply-held values to enable organisations to make their vision of a fair future a reality.

Why Fair Futures?

Pressing humanitarian and environmental concerns have triggered a rush to reset the way ‘business as usual’ operates amongst businesses and governments.

Fair Futures was born of a desire to make it easier for organisations to eradicate human rights abuses like forced labour and slavery that are buried deeply in the supply chains we all depend on. Our ‘why’ is injustice.

It is what led our founder Fiona David to build the Global Slavery Index from the ground up. A passion for human rights was also what led Fair Futures to design pioneering evidence-based programs that help prevent people smuggling, which received funding from the governments of Sweden, the US, and Italy.

Today Fair Futures are the go-to experts on how to detect and respond to modern slavery, make ethical and profitable investment decisions without compromising on net-zero goals, keep abreast of regulatory frameworks, and more. Our ‘how’ is the business of aligning values and actions. We take ideas, evidence, strategy, and networks to build bridges, and enable fruitful collaboration.

Our ‘what’ is the ability to align corporate supply chains with human right principles. Designing successful interventions to complex problems such as preventing deaths at sea from migrant smuggling out of Lebanon is but one example of the power of a unique and holistic perspective.

Having simplified sustainable procurement for an ASX 100 company to as little as 10 principles, we confidently straddle the world of business and policy to bring easy, and actionable steps to benefit organisations of every size and industry.

We understand how to juggle stakeholder expectations and organisational goals in a way that doesn’t cost the earth or its people. With Fiona at the helm, Fair Futures has the tools to tackle the most complex system level problems with clarity, perspective, and momentum.

About Fiona

For close to three decades Fiona David has championed anti-slavery progress, making a name for herself nationally and internationally as a leading expert in high-impact policy reform and systemic societal change. Having led the creation of the landmark Global Slavery Index, Fiona’s grasp of key data and critical insights have made her one of the most sought-after advisors to governments, businesses, and high profile organisations alike.

Fiona takes an evidence-based policy approach which has served her well in her effort to influence law reforms in Australia and abroad. Her previous role as Research Chair of the Minderoo Foundation resulted in scaled investment in research excellence linked to impact by $28.5 million.

Fiona has led the drafting of United Nations model laws on transnational organised crime and migrant smuggling, and has conducted extensive research and training on these issues in crime hot-spots globally.

Drawing on her vast experience which spans from her early work as a human rights lawyer fighting against the commercial sexual exploitation of children, to building programs to prevent migrant smuggling backed by Sweden, Italy, and the US, Fiona is the go-to adviser to governments, leading philanthropists, business leaders and humanitarian organisations. Her role in building Walk Free, one of the world’s most powerful and active anti-slavery organisations, showcases her ability to mobilise everyday citizens, businesses, organisations, faith-based groups, and political actors to take action against modern slavery.

Photo by Raul Ortiz de Lejarazu Machin

Fiona's work

Creation of the Global Slavery Index

The global study of modern slavery remains the world’s most comprehensive and influential anti-slavery tool. It provides widely accepted, credible data on the workings of modern slavery and has been instrumental in holding individuals and nations to account.

Cited by leaders like Barack Obama, the Pope, Bill Gates, and Julia Gillard, the Global Slavery Index has informed key decision makers in over 160 countries. A testament to Fiona’s versatility and leadership ability, the GSI is the gold standard of clever policy, reform, and actioning human rights.

Since then, Fiona has worked tirelessly to not only raise global awareness but create pathways for governments and businesses worldwide to set their priorities in favour of human rights.

Fiona’s international track record includes:

Designing programs that receive funding from Sweden, Italy, and the US to rollout programs that stem the tide of migrant smuggling voyages.
Directed labour audits and remediation efforts for human rights infringements in the Middle East.
Served as an adviser on human trafficking issues in Myanmar, Libya, and Djibouti.
Assisted major corporations to eradicate forced labour in their international workforce.
Drafted UN Model Laws on Transnational Organised Crime on Drugs and Crime which have been used to guide legislation in common and civil law countries.
Drafted UN Model Laws on Migrant Smuggling to provide a global human-rights informed blueprint for UN Protocol.
Pioneered and introduced businesses to the Bali Process.
Brokered a complex global multi-stakeholder partnership to benchmark progress on forced labour resulting in the UN Global Estimates on Modern Slavery.
In collaboration with the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, led the team that developed guidelines for businesses to tackle modern slavery in their supply chains.
Advised government officials from all ten ASEAN nations on human trafficking laws and facilitated a response between them.

In Australia, Fiona has:

Spearheaded reviews of billion-dollar procurement programs for ASX 100 companies and conducted labour audits of SMEs.
Worked with all levels of government on anti-slavery best practice to inspire nationwide policy reform.
Advised on the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Anti-Slavery Commissioner Bill and Australia’s Modern Slavery Act.
Provided training to the Australian Federal Police on human trafficking.
Led research for the Australian government-funded Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking and the Asia Regional Trafficking in Persons Project.
Championed the centring of survivors by connecting them to the PM and Opposition; this led to the formation of Australia’s first anti-slavery reforms in government procurement.