Source · Select Committees · Human Rights (Joint Committee)
Recommendation 36
36
Accepted
The UK should carry out effective impact assessments before entering trade negotiations with other nations.
Recommendation
The UK should carry out effective impact assessments before entering trade negotiations with other nations. These assessments should include analysis of how enhanced trading arrangements with the UK will impact the use of forced labour in the contracting state, and whether an agreement would be likely to increase the UK’s exposure to forced labour in supply chains. (Recommendation, Paragraph 204)
Government Response Summary
The government states that prior to entering trade negotiations, it carries out scoping assessments that provide a qualitative assessment of trading partners' adherence to ILO conventions. It adds that it works with trading partners to address forced labour through commitments in the labour chapter of trade agreements.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Identifying forced labour in international supply chains is challenging due to their complexity and opacity, the lack of transparency and reliable data. There is ongoing work to examine the extent to which UK supply chains are affected by forced labour. Prior to entering negotiations with trading partners, the UK carries out scoping assessments. These provide a qualitative assessment of the ILO conventions our trading partners are signed up to. It is through the commitments in the labour chapter of a trade agreement that the UK works with trading partners to address forced labour. For example, in the recently signed UK-India FTA both countries agreed to provisions to discourage forced and compulsory labour.