A report researched and drafted by masters students at the Université Côte d’Azur under the guidance of members of the law faculty and in association with FairSquare suggests that the French due diligence law may not prevent or effectively mitigate the risk of French companies being involved in projects where workers are subjected to serious rights abuses in the Arab Gulf states’ construction sectors.

The legal clinic is a student-led project designed to give students experience of involvement in professional work and the aim is to produce legal research that makes a positive contribution to the field of legal knowledge. The focus of this report was the French due diligence law and its capacity to ensure that French construction companies can effectively mitigate the risks of forced labour in projects in the countries of the Arabian Gulf.

FairSquare research has found that across the Gulf, migrant workers face severe risks of exploitation and to their health. This was highlighted most clearly in relation to the construction of infrastructure and stadiums for the Qatar World Cup in 2022.

The French due diligence law … created an obligation for joint-stock companies employing at least 5,000 employees in France or at least 10,000 employees worldwide to establish, implement and publish a vigilance plan….