Human rights news and archive

Report: Ralph Lauren, Coach and Gucci among brands linked to alleged human rights abuses

A report by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre has uncovered 28 cases of alleged human rights abuses related to the purchasing practices of large scale, global brands. The organisation said the cases identified and tracked over a nine month period, from January to September 2024, were “global in scale and have impacted thousands of...

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Who makes our clothes? Fashion Production Explained

Ever wondered who actually makes your clothes and how fashion's supply chain impacts workers' lives? This deep dive unpacks how fashion production works and explores what’s needed for meaningful change in the industry. FashionUnited interviewed Kim van der Weerd, a former factory manager with a background in human rights, who advocates for a...

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Lush highlights UK human rights issues in new campaign

Cosmetics retailer Lush has brought a new campaign to British high streets that aims to highlight alleged human rights issues in the region alongside collaborator EachOther. The charity’s briefing paper, ‘Don’t Let Human Rights be a Dirty Word’, has been used to form the basis of the “public education campaign”, Lush said, which will run in all...

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Germany stalls EU supply chain law to protect human rights

A new European supply chain law that would hold companies accountable for any abuses against workers in the global supply chain, has been placed on hold as a German government coalition partner has not greenlit Germany’s support. The law would protect those most vulnerable from child and forced labour, unsafe and exploitative working conditions...

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Nike investors vote against pay equity and human rights proposals

Nike is continuing to face scrutiny for its handling of allegations of pay inequity and human rights misconduct, with the sportswear giant’s investors now understood to have voted against proposals that aimed to resolve such issues. The company had seen increased pressure from two activist investors in recent months, each calling on Nike to...

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UK court rules against allegations that government failed to halt Xinjiang imports

The UK’s High Court has ruled against human rights campaigners that brought forward a case claiming British crime and customs authorities had failed to stop the importation of cotton from China’s Xinjiang region, which has been at the centre of allegations of forced labour. In the filing, the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and World Uyghur...

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Tesco faces lawsuit from low-paid factory workers sewing F&F jeans

Tesco is facing a lawsuit over allegations that jeans from its F&F fashion range were made under forced labour conditions. The supermarket giant, which retails jeans for 16 pounds, is being sued by 130 former workers from VK Garment Factury, a Thailand-based apparel manufacturer. Allegations include working 99-hour weeks for less than 4 pounds...

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Garment workers disclose worsening human rights issues in new report

A new report by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHHRC) has highlighted allegations of union-busting and human rights abuses against garment workers at the suppliers of a number of global fashion retailers. As part of the report, the organisation interviewed 24 trade union leaders and surveyed 124 union activists and labour activists...

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What to know about the UN’s Xinjiang human rights report

The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a detailed report following its assessment of China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in which it said that “serious human rights violations have been committed”. The region, which produces around a fifth of the world’s cotton, has been the subject of an increasing...

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UN report says it is reasonable to conclude China forced labour in Xinjiang, as H&M returns to Tmall

On the day the UN released its report of the “Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences," stating it is reasonable to conclude China forced labour among Uighur minorities, H&M went back to business on the country’s online behemoth, Tmall. The unfortunate timing for the Swedish fast fashion giant...

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Myanmar's garment workers face abuse and harassment under military rule

At least 60,800 garment workers in Myanmar have experienced alleged labour and human rights abuses according to a report by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRC). Since February, when a military coup illegally gained power, Myanmar’s garment workers, of which 90 percent are women, are at the front lines of the country’s civil problems...

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BASF’s e3 Sustainable Cotton program joins the UN’s Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network

The largest multinational chemical production company, BASF, has announced that its e3 sustainable cotton program will co-host a series of roundtable events as a part of the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network, an online platform hosted by the United Nations for industry stakeholders, media, governments, and UN entities with the aim of...