July 2023

Aug. 9

URAP NEWSLETTER – JULY 2023

Press releases:

On July 11th, URAP issued a press release in response to the announcement made by the CORE.

News:

July month of 2023 was very productive moth Uyghur campaigning vice despite being a summer…. Two major events, planned in advance by URAP and well “delivered” happened…. On July 3- 6, 2023 the first-ever Uyghur Legal Summit was held in Alma region of Quebec. In addition to key figures of Uyghur leaders, the prominent international legal experts in the field of the International Law from Canada, UK and the US came together for their three-days legal brainstorming. The legal experts explored global and domestic venues, legal and administrative tools to effectively address the ongoing Uyghur Genocide, Uyghur Forced Labor, Transnational Repression and expansion of sanction regimes domestically and internationally.

On July 11, the CORE Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) held a Press-Conference during which it declared its intention to investigate two companies: Nike Canada Corp. and Dynasty Gold Corp., included in URAP’s complaint alleging products being sold by Canadian companies made in whole or in part with Uyghur forced labour. CORE’s decision is a welcomed response to a complaint filed in April 2022 by a URAP-led coalition of 28 organizations, calling on CORE to investigate 14 Canadians companies for their alleged ties with Uyghur forced labour in their supply chain.

Media compilation (some mentions on URAP)

4 JULY - Le Quotidien reports on the Uyghur summit in Saint-Gédéon

11 JULY - Radio-Canada Article about the CORE actions and URAP role in them.

12 JULY - Terrace Standard –- Ottawa’s corporate-ethics watchdog has announced investigations into a gold-mining corporation and the Canadian branch of Nike over the possible use of forced labour by China’s Uyghur minority in their supply chains.

13 JULY - Corporate Knights - Article about the CORE actions and URAP role in them.

30 JULY - BBC - China is pressuring Uyghurs living abroad to spy on human rights campaigners by threatening families back home, researchers say. Refugees and activists tell the BBC intimidating tactics are tearing communities apart.

What can you do this week?

URAP is non-profit organization advocating on behalf of Uyghur and other Turkic-speaking people of East Turkistan currently facing the ongoing Genocide. We need broad support of public just like you to continue our advocacy and awareness-raising efforts in Canada and globally. Consider to DONATE and support our activities such as ongoing M62 campaign among other initiatives.

Upcoming Events:

URAP Executive Director Mehmet Tohti will be visiting Prairies and the West Coast of Canada in the month of August, 2023. The purpose of the upcoming business trip will be mobilization and provision of the information session for Uyghur community, NGOs and some elected officials on ongoing awareness-raising and advocacy campaigns undertaken in Ottawa.

Appendix: Media compilation on CORE’s Press-Conference and URAP-led initiative addressing the Uyghur Forced Slave Labour

CORE-related media coverage in Canada and globally:

https://www.reuters.com/world/canada-probes-nike-dynasty-gold-over-alleged-use-forced-labor-china-2023-07-11/

https://globalnews.ca/news/9825614/nike-canada-dynasty-gold-uyghur-forecd-labour-allegations-investigation/

https://financialpost.com/news/canada-probe-complaints-nike-dynasty-gold-uyghur-forced-labour

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/corporate-ethics-czar-launches-forced-labour-probes-into-nike-dynasty-gold-in-china-1.6475130

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/canada-probes-nike-dynasty-gold-000752934.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJKbCL1uyeb37-Ib8fvIRRpFvZHt4bzjqntcaEewcikvwbrewyS5NWXL8vj1omXNK98VqWzugFT2NPh20ta7VE-dAYX0tE6PZbbXN1PrJmhNimQSOHDPShjz3Hcnb4IWFGjI5d4KdfzNlekbXV6RivX58dfAEe-GrSoKTwDzBpLB

https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/canadian-watchdog-launches-separate-probes-into-nike-dynasty-gold-over-alleged-use-of-forced-labour-in-china-614755/amp

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2023/07/12/Canada-probes-firms-over-China-forced-labor/7931689150083/

https://www.ledevoir.com/economie/794420/justice-nike-et-dynasty-gold-vises-par-des-enquetes-pour-travail-force-de-ouighours

https://www.lesoleil.com/actualites/2023/07/11/lombudsman-canadienne-lance-des-enquetes-sur-lethique-de-nike-et-dynasty-gold-AHZSHK5BVFAWJF6XELWF2SMXVQ/

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/rci/fr/nouvelle/1995402/ouighours-chine-nike-dynasty-gold