UTJD’s Panel on Uyghur Forced Labor

In today’s globalized economy, businesses and corporations face major challenges related to responsibility within the global production networks and interconnected supply chains in which they operate. Outsourcing labor abroad has become common, and our daily consumption of goods and services often crosses national borders, woven into complex multinational legal systems and varying labor practices. While globalization has contributed to economic growth and social development in many countries in the global south, we must also acknowledge the serious human rights challenges that accompany it. Companies and governments have largely failed to adequately address these challenges.

In light of this issue, the Uyghur Transitional Justice Database (UTJD), in collaboration with the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights, is organizing a panel debate titled “Balancing Green Growth and Human Rights: The Forced Labor Question.” Here, dialogue will be essential to highlight and find solutions to ethical dilemmas.

UTJD has recently conducted an in-depth study of how Norwegian companies are complying with Norway’s Transparency Act, especially concerning responsibility in global supply chains and potential links to Uyghur forced labor. The Transparency Act, passed by the Ministry of Children and Families, grants the public the right to question and investigate companies’ ethical sourcing practices, due diligence processes, transparency, and work on fundamental human rights and decent working conditions.

UTJD will soon publish the report, *Uyghur Forced Labor in the Norwegian Solar Panel Industry,* which will be available on website. The report examines the Transparency Act in practice by reaching out to 25 Norwegian solar energy companies to assess their compliance with the law’s requirements.

The panel debate will provide a valuable platform for dialogue among experts, business leaders, and human rights organizations to discuss the ethical challenges tied to transparent and responsible supply chains, particularly in the transition to green energy. The discussion will cover key topics, including findings from the UTJD report, possible strategies for strengthening the Transparency Act, industry recommendations for improvement, and how the solar energy industry and civil society organizations can work together to combat forced labor.

Opening remarks: The Norwegian Uyghur Committee

Panel participants:
– Statkraft
– Rafto Foundation for Human Rights
– Uyghur Transitional Justice Database
– The Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region

Moderator: Ethical Trade Norway

The event is open to the public.