Latest modern slavery fight updates - FreedomUnited.org

International Olympics Committee uniforms made with Uyghur forced labor

  • Published on
    April 9, 2021
  • News Source Image
  • Category:
    Forced Labor, Supply Chain
Hero Banner

Axios reports this week that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has given a uniform contract for the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to a company implicated in forced labor.

The Hengyuanxiang (HYX) Group, which was contracted by the IOC to supply formal uniforms, has a subsidiary factory in the Uyghur Region and openly advertises that its cotton comes from this region. The Uyghur Region is home to hundreds of forced labor and detention camps run by the Chinese government.

Freedom United and other advocates have been calling for an end to forced labor in the Uyghur Region for over a year now. We have joined with hundreds of organizations, including over 70 Ugyhur groups, to form the Coalition to End Forced Labor in the Uyghur Region.

The Coalition has issued a Call to Action to companies using Chinese cotton to exit the Uyghur Region due to the high likelihood of forced labor. To date, a few major fashion brands have signed the Call to Action, including Marks and Spencers, ASOS and EILEEN FISHER.

More and more companies have made public pledges to ensure their cotton is ethically sourced and free of forced labor. The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI) advises companies to ensure their supply chains are not linked the Uyghur region.

Although the IOC has strict human rights requirements for Olympics host cities, the usual response to media inquiries about the controversial location is neutrality and a focus on the Games.

Axios reports:

In December, a coalition representing ethnic minorities in China said in an open letter that the IOC has “turned a blind eye to the widespread and systematic human rights violations being committed by the Chinese authorities.”

The IOC is not the only entity with problematic uniforms. News recently broke that the Australian Olympic team uniforms are made by ASICS, a company that last month issued a statement announcing it would “continue to purchase and support [Uyghur Region] cotton.”

ASICS later walked back their statement just as the IOC claims that it received a certificate confirming that Uyghur Region cotton was not used to make their uniforms (but would not share said certificate with Axios).

Advocates are clear: Olympics stakeholders must take a stance against forced labor and crimes against humanity. In February,  Freedom United signed a statement calling on the IOC to announce its human rights due diligence plan ahead of the Beijing 2022 Olympics.

According to the director of strategic research at the Worker Rights Consortium, Penelope Kyritsis, “The Olympics should have no association with corporations producing in the Uyghur Region. Partnering with a company that not only sources from the Uyghur Region but boasts about it in its product advertising is morally reprehensible.”

Help us keep up the pressure at this critical moment. Join the call on companies to stay out of the Uyghur Region.

Subscribe

Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.

stop icon A few things we do not tolerate: comments that promote discrimination, prejudice, racism, or xenophobia, as well as personal attacks or profanity. We screen submissions in order to create a space where the entire Freedom United community feels safe to express and exchange thoughtful opinions.

Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

This week

S.O.S at sea: forced labor, abuse, and murder in global fishing industry

One in every five fish is caught through illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, often in conditions rife with worker abuse. The United Nations estimates that approximately 128,000 workers are currently ensnared in forced labor on remote fishing vessels worldwide. According to the US Department of Labor, child labor or forced labor has been observed in the production of various seafood items in at least 20 countries, underscoring the global scale

| Wednesday March 13, 2024

Read more