Strengthening voluntary standards for businesses on preventing and combating trafficking in persons and labour exploitation, especially in supply chains 2017, para. 34
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In order to evaluate the compliance of companies and grant certification, if applicable, multi-stakeholder initiatives establish an assurance programme. The ISEAL Alliance defines assurance as the demonstrable evidence that specified requirements relating to a product, process, system, person or body are fulfilled. Some voluntary standards organizations use the term certification system instead. Models of assurance vary in their approach and level of rigour, which range from self-assessments to third-party auditing. Models of audit methodology may differ in terms of frequency and intensity, and with regard to the requirements auditors need to meet to perform the audit. Assurance programmes also use different scoring systems to rate applicant companies on their level of compliance with the standard. Today, many multi-stakeholder initiatives have opted for a stepwise or continuous improvement approach, rather than a pass-fail approach, and assign a prominent role to capacity-building activities that help companies to understand and tackle challenges in the implementation of the standard and in fulfilling compliance requirements.
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Non-negotiated soft law
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Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially in women and children