representatives of Global Rights Compliance (GRC)An international law foundation specializing in accountability for serious human rights abuses. Uyghur Youth Initiative and members of Coalition to End Forced Labor in Uyghur Region Jointly participated in the forum with the goal of ensuring that Uyghur voices, often marginalized through systematic international repression, are brought into policy discussions.
Throughout the week, these advocates attended sessions and meetings – including United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery – Calling for more concerted international attention to state-imposed forced labour.
Through the interventions, advocates emphasized that in the Uyghur region, credible human rights due diligence is currently impossible because workers cannot speak openly about forced labor and supply chain transparency is restricted by domestic law. He emphasized that, According to recent research by GRCDozens of companies are linked to critical minerals obtained through forced labor in the Uyghur region – an alarming level of complicity in systematic oppression and human rights violations.
“Our message to UNBHR is clear: governments must adopt and enforce strong import restrictions so that goods made with forced labor have no place on global markets.” said Lara Strangways, Head of Business and Human Rights at Global Rights Compliance. “Without coordinated global action, we risk normalizing a system of coercion in the Uyghur region that should never be allowed to take root.”
“The international community needs to recognize that Uyghur forced labor is a crisis – more than 3 million people were transferred into forced labor programs in 2023 alone”, Patricia Carrier, Business Engagement Lead for End Uyghur Forced Labour, said. “As our coalition has stressed this week, immediate disengagement is the only responsible way businesses can avoid contributing to these grave abuses. UN leaders and forums need to hear the voices of Uyghur advocates – this issue cannot be minimized or avoided.”
groups are calling for Stronger enforcement and implementation of existing labor regulations in the US and EU, including the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and the European Union Forced Labor Regulation, as well as more coordinated global action to prohibit the import of forced labor-produced goods. They are also calling on all companies to immediately trace their supply chains, trace any points of contact with Uyghur forced labor, and exit the Uyghur region entirely.
representatives of Global Rights Compliance (GRC), End Uyghur forced laborstop the Uyghur genocide, and Uyghur Youth Initiative Available for media interviews. A video created by advocates attending the summit can be viewed here,
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