URAP ATtends CAFLT In-Person Meeting: Advancing Global Strategies Against Forced Labour in Trade
November 12-14, 2024 | Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico – The Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project is a part of The Coalition Against Forced Labour in Trade (CAFLT) and was honoured to represent Canada and the Uyghur people in Mexico City. The Coalition Against Forced Labour in Trade (CAFLT) is an international network of established civil society organizations from the United States, Australia, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, South Korea and the United Kingdom working together to combat forced labour in global trade. By advocating for stronger import bans, supporting legislation, and fostering collaboration between governments, civil society, and the private sector, CAFLT seeks to disrupt the trade in goods produced by forced labour, ensuring that businesses and governments uphold human rights in their supply chains. The organizations comprising CAFLT work together to introduce and enforce import bans against goods made using forced labour.
The coalition convened its annual in-person meeting in Mexico City from November 12th to 14th, 2024, bringing together leading experts, academics, civil society organizations, and government officials worldwide to address the issue of forced labour in global supply chains. The three-day event, hosted by Freedom Fund, ProDESC, and Human Trafficking Legal Center (HTLC) in Mexico City, focused on evaluating the coalition's progress since its inception and exploring new strategies to strengthen the global fight against forced labour, with particular emphasis on import bans for goods produced through exploitative practices.
Reflection and Strategy Development
URAP was a part of interactive roundtable sessions with participants sharing their experiences and insights on eradicating forced labour, including successful strategies for implementing import bans. A key objective was to assess the coalition's progress and discuss potential opportunities for further collaboration. Executive Director, Mehmet Tohti, Global Labour Justice, Legal Director Allison Gill, and Business & Human Rights Manager, Sian Lea facilitated a roundtable discussion on addressing state-imposed forced labour. Focusing on the impact of import ban enforcement on global supply chains and addressing state-imposed forced labour in the Uyghur Autonomous Region and Turkmenistan.
Deepening Collaboration and Strategy Refinement
The next day, CAFLT members continued their discussions on the coalition's next steps, focusing on exploring additional avenues for collaboration and developing strategies to engage the Global South in the effort to enforce import bans. Key areas of exploration included refining the coalition's shared goals, developing new advocacy strategies, and strengthening international efforts to prevent forced labour through cross-jurisdictional collaboration.
Public Advocacy and Policy Engagement
On the final day of the meeting, ProDESC hosted a public press conference to address the latest developments in the global fight against forced labour and the coalition’s achievements. URAP team members also participated in high-level advocacy meetings with Mexican government officials and senior attachés from U.S. government agencies. These meetings strengthened the policy framework around import bans and forced labour legislation. The meetings aimed to advocate for the continued enforcement of import bans. During these meetings, URAP particularly emphasized the importance of addressing state-imposed forced labour practices, in the Uyghur region.
Media Contact:
Mehmet Tohti
Executive Director, Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project (URAP)
mehmet@urap.ca - 613-261- 8512