Publications
Access the research and strategic frameworks shaping the global conversation on sustainability, human rights, and the energy transition.
Strategic policy influence
Net zero & human rights | Productivity Commission
Expert response to the Net Zero interim report. Introduces 'embodied injustice' and advocates for government-backed initiatives to coordinate human rights due diligence across Australia’s renewable energy sector.
Read submissionCritical minerals & human rights | Economic Legislation Committee
Expert submission to the Inquiry into the Future Made in Australia Bill 2024. This response advocates for strategic investment in domestic critical mineral production to reduce reliance on supply chains with high forced labour risks, while ensuring Australian labour standards remain a global competitive advantage.
Read submissionSustainability collaborations | ACCC
Formal response to the ACCC’s draft guidance on competition law and sustainability. This submission argues for a clearer 'safe harbour' framework to enable businesses to collaborate on human rights due diligence without the regulatory burden and cost of individual cartel conduct authorisations.
Read submissionForced labour import provisions | Global Affairs Canada
Expert advice on strengthening Canada's forced labour import ban. This submission supports the creation of an official high-risk product list and the implementation of minimum traceability requirements for importers to prevent state-sponsored forced labour from entering North American markets.
Read submissionAnti-Slavery Commissioner’s Strategic Plan | Anti-Slavery Commissioner
Strategic recommendations for the inaugural Federal Anti-Slavery Commissioner, advocating for a plan that prioritizes mandatory human rights due diligence, robust survivor engagement, and a trauma-informed focus on long-term wellbeing.
Read submissionEstablishing an Anti-Slavery Commissioner | Legal & Constitutional Affairs Committee
A unique, survivor-centered submission based on direct interviews with people with lived experience, advocating for a Federal Commissioner role that includes independent complaint powers, a Lived Experience Advisory Panel, and clear oversight of Australia’s anti-slavery framework.
Read submissionModern slavery offences | Attorney-General's Dept.
Expert contribution to the Criminal Code review. Advocates for reforms including 'deception by omission' and criminalising precursor conduct, such as passport withholding. to align Australian law with international standards.
Read submissionIntergenerational climate equity | Environment Committee
Joint submission advocating for a statutory duty of care to protect the health and wellbeing of future generations. Drawing on multi-generational expertise, this response argues for a legislative mechanism to balance current and future rights in climate-related decision-making.
Read submissionAustralia's human rights framework | Joint Committee on Human Rights
A comprehensive argument for a federal Human Rights Act that addresses the 'blind spots' in Australia's current infrastructure, specifically calling for the legal regulation of investor and business obligations to ensure a fair and just net zero transition.
Read submissionReports and papers
Strategic briefs & summaries
Economic empowerment & preventing exploitation | Executive summary
Executive summary of the 'Learning From Experience' report, produced with Project Respect and Survivor Connections. This survivor-led research explores the critical role of financial autonomy in preventing modern slavery and provides a trauma-informed framework to restore agency and choice.
Executive SummaryModern slavery risk & international students | Practitioner guidance
A specialised guidance resource for the higher education sector, identifying the unique vulnerabilities of international students to labor exploitation and providing actionable steps for universities to integrate lived-experience expertise into their safeguarding frameworks.
Modern slavery risks to university studentsPeer support & recovery | Rapid review overview
A high-level research summary translating academic rigour into practical insights for the anti-slavery sector, highlighting the evidentiary basis for peer support programs and offering clear recommendations for trauma-informed implementation.
Rapid Review Research OverviewInternational research & peer-reviewed impact
Fair Futures’ advisory is underpinned by Fiona David’s 25-year career as a leading researcher and founding architect of the Global Slavery Index. This body of work is used by global policy-makers and law enforcement to define and respond to exploitation.
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United Nations & ASEAN | Principal Drafter of the UN Model Law on Smuggling of Migrants and the first edition of the UN Model Law on Transnational Organised Crime. Fiona was the lead researcher for numerous foundational texts including the UNODC Thematic Review of Migrant Smuggling in Asia and ASEAN Responses to Trafficking in Persons.
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Academic Authority | Fiona’s research in journals like Nature Communications and Criminology & Public Policy has garnered over 1,250 citations. A full record of her peer-reviewed work and h-index is available on Google Scholar.
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National Research | Author of 11 reports for the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC), bridging the gap between field data and legislative reform.
