Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement (UNP Ltd)
If you need to contact us about this Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement, please use our contact page. For broader company background, see Our Story.
1. Introduction to our Modern Slavery Statement
1.1. Modern slavery is a crime and a violation of fundamental human rights. It takes various forms, such as slavery, servitude, forced and compulsory labour and human trafficking, all of which have in common the deprivation of a person’s liberty by another in order to exploit them for personal or commercial gain (“slavery and human trafficking”).
1.2. UNP Ltd, as a UK-wide PR, press, corporate and communications photography agency and picture desk, has a zero-tolerance approach to slavery and human trafficking. We do not tolerate slavery and human trafficking in any form in any of our operations or supply chains.
1.3. This Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships, and to implementing and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking are not taking place anywhere in our supply chains or in connection with our photographic services.
2. Organisation structure
2.1. UNP Ltd (United National Photographers Ltd) is a specialist photographic agency, picture desk and supplier of freelance photographers and related services. We are registered in England and Wales under company number 04253192. Our registered office is:
United National Photographers Ltd
119 Main Street
Menston, Ilkley
England
LS29 6HT
2.2. Our core business is the provision and coordination of professional photography services, including PR, press, editorial, event, corporate, healthcare, retail and nationwide multi-location campaigns for clients across the media, corporate, public and not-for-profit sectors in the UK.
2.3. Our employees are based in the United Kingdom, and we work with a network of professional freelance photographers and associated suppliers operating across the UK on assignment-by-assignment and ongoing framework bases.
3. Our supply chains
3.1. Our supply chains are primarily focused on the delivery of professional photographic and picture desk services across the UK. They include:
- Photography and creative services – freelance photographers, assistants, retouchers, videographers and other visual content specialists.
- Travel, accommodation and on-location support – hotels, transport providers and location facilities used in connection with assignments.
- Equipment and technology – photographic equipment, IT hardware and software, digital asset management tools, cloud and website hosting, telecommunications and office equipment.
- Corporate and professional services – professional advisers, insurers, banks, accountants, HR, marketing and print suppliers, office services and utilities.
3.2. We recognise that some elements of our supply chains, particularly those involving outsourced services or international manufacturing (e.g. IT hardware, some equipment or branded materials), may carry a higher inherent risk of labour exploitation. We are committed to assessing and managing these risks proportionately and responsibly.
4. Policies relating to modern slavery
4.1. UNP Ltd has internal policies and procedures that support our stance on modern slavery and human trafficking, including:
- Prevention of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy;
- Code of Conduct and Ethics;
- Recruitment and Freelance Engagement Procedures;
- Whistleblowing and Reporting Concerns Procedure;
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
4.2. These policies are reviewed periodically and communicated to employees and, where appropriate, to freelancers and key suppliers. They are designed to ensure we conduct our business in an ethical and transparent manner and to set clear expectations for anyone working with or on behalf of UNP Ltd.
5. Due diligence (Modern Slavery Act 2015)
5.1. We undertake proportionate due diligence on key suppliers, particularly those providing people-based services (such as freelance photographers, production support or agencies) and those operating in areas that may present higher risks.
5.2. Our due diligence processes aim to:
- Identify suppliers that do not take appropriate steps to prevent discrimination, child labour or forced labour;
- Ensure we do not engage or continue to work with any supplier where we have identified the use of child labour, forced labour or any form of slavery or human trafficking;
- Encourage openness so that concerns can be raised safely and confidentially, and ensure that whistle-blowers are protected from detrimental treatment.
5.3. Where concerns are raised or identified, we investigate and take appropriate action, which may include corrective action plans, suspension of work or termination of contracts.
6. Supplier adherence to our values and ethics
6.1. UNP Ltd is committed to working only with suppliers, contractors and freelance photographers who share our values and comply with applicable laws and ethical standards.
6.2. We support this by:
- Incorporating Modern Slavery Act expectations into our standard terms, freelance agreements and supplier contracts;
- Requesting, where appropriate, that suppliers provide their own modern slavery statements or policies;
- Reserving the right to request additional information where heightened risk is identified;
- Including clear consequences for non-compliance, which may include contract termination.
7. Training and awareness
7.1. To ensure an understanding of the risks of slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains and our business, UNP Ltd provides periodic training and guidance to relevant staff. This includes:
- Awareness of how modern slavery can manifest in service-based and freelance supply chains;
- Guidance on what to look out for when engaging freelancers and suppliers;
- How to escalate and report concerns or suspected exploitation.
7.2. We keep training content under review and update it to reflect changes in legislation, industry guidance and best practice.
8. Measuring effectiveness
8.1. We use the following measures to help ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place in any part of our business or supply chains:
- Supplier onboarding and renewal checks – declarations and contractual commitments.
- Contractual controls – modern slavery clauses in our standard terms, including termination rights.
- Incident and concern tracking – recording and responding to concerns raised internally or externally.
- Policy and process review – ongoing review of procurement and engagement practices.
8.2. We will continue to develop our approach to identifying, assessing and managing modern slavery risks, including by monitoring relevant legislation, guidance and best practice across the UK creative industries.
Helpful external resources include the UK Government guidance on the Modern Slavery Act 2015, the UK Government modern slavery resources, and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
9. Approval
This Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement has been approved by the Board of Directors of United National Photographers Ltd and will be reviewed and updated annually.
Further guidance
For background, see UK Government guidance on the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (Section 54) and reporting expectations from the UK Government Modern Slavery collection.
Related: Contact UNP or view our Privacy Policy.
Hamlet Mejloumian
Director
United National Photographers Ltd
Approved by the Board: 25 June 2025