Modern Slavery Act

HOUSE OF AKACHI

UK Modern Slavery Act 2015/16 Statement

Introduction

This statement is made pursuant to Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and sets out the steps HOUSE OF AKACHI (“AKACHI”), has taken during its financial year ending 31 December 2021 to ensure that slavery, servitude, forced or compulsory labour, and human trafficking (collectively, "Modern Slavery") is not taking place in any part of its business and subsidiaries, or in its supply chains.

Business

HOUSE OF AKACHI. American parent company part of the AKACHI group is closely linked to the AKACHI Group.

AKACHI sells luxury and high quality products under the AKACHI trademark as shoes, leather goods, bags, accessories, ready-to-wear, etc. (the “Products”), to clients in Europe, including in the United Kingdom, as well as in many other countries worldwide.

Supply chains

Products and packaging are mainly manufactured through AKACHI’s industrial subsidiaries. AKACHI purchases directly from local suppliers services necessary to run its business.  

Policies and Practices

AKACHI’s commitment is to act with integrity in all its business dealings and to promote ethical conduct, to enhance compliance with applicable laws and to provide guidance with respect to business conduct.  It has a number of policies that are relevant to this commitment, which set out what AKACHI expects from its employees, contractors, internal business and its external suppliers and their supply chain.

AKACHI engages in multiple internal and external actions to gauge the risk of slavery and human trafficking in its supply chain and to assess and manage potential risks related to its supply chain. AKACHI’s due diligence includes internal risk assessments utilizing information gathered from organizations with expertise in social compliance issues, other companies, and various additional external resources.

 

Key policies and practices are:

- Anti-Modern Slavery Policy

AKACHI Anti-Modern Slavery Policy reflects its commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure Modern Slavery is not taking place anywhere in AKACHI or its supply chains.

AKACHI requires its employees and suppliers to engage in and promote honest and ethical conduct, comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in their own area and act responsibly, with due care, competence and diligence when dealing with colleagues, customers, suppliers, agents and intermediaries.

-AKACHI Suppliers' Code of Conduct

- Audits

AKACHI conducts audits of certain finished goods vendors and materials vendors to evaluate their compliance with the various regulations and AKACHI's own policies and procedures.

AKACHI engages external third-party compliance firms to perform announced, semi-announced, or unannounced assessments of these vendors, and following audit results, the vendors are required to address any non-compliance issues identified during an audit or re-audit. A vendor's failure to address and correct such deficiencies will result in a re-evaluation of AKACHI's business relationship with the vendor, and possible remedial action of up to termination of our business relationship.

   - Supplier and Contractor due diligence

AKACHI has been reviewing its suppliers and a lot of its suppliers are carefully chosen for the entire AKACHI Group by AKACHI.

Moreover, prior to engaging into any new contractual relationship with a supplier or contractor,AKACHI requires suppliers and contractors to satisfy them that they are complying with the Suppliers’ Code of Conduct.

AKACHI reserves the right to check adherence of AKACHI Group and its suppliers and contractors to the principles set out in the Suppliers' Code of Conduct and to conduct compliance audits at any time. Upon reasonable request,AKACHI makes sure that AKACHI Group, and its suppliers and contractors shall supply the necessary information and grant access to AKACHI representatives to verify compliance with the requirements of the AKACHI Suppliers' Code of Conduct. Suppliers and contractors shall further keep proper records to prove compliance with the AKACHI Suppliers' Code of Conduct and provide access to complete, original, and accurate files to AKACHI representatives.

Upon reasonable request,AKACHI suppliers and contractors must improve and correct any deficiency discovered during any such audits.

AKACHI shall use its reasonable endeavours to ensure that all AKACHI Group supplier and contractor template contracts contain clauses requiring AKACHI Group suppliers and contractors to adopt similar anti-Modern Slavery standards and practices.

   - Training and Awareness

AKACHI provides training both to certain employees with direct responsibility for supply chain management and certain vendors. The training, is focused on raising awareness regarding the risks of Modern Slavery and on preventing, detecting, and responding to allegations related to these and other social compliance issues.
This statement is made pursuant to Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes AKACHI’s anti Modern Slavery statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2021.

The Board of Directors of AKACHI has approved this statement and it has been duly signed by the following director:

 

Ms. Nneji Akunne

The Akachi Group 
Director of House of Akachi