Marks & Spencer is 1st global fashion brand to make public commitment on Uyghur forced labour by signing Call to Action
"Statement: End Uyghur Forced Labour Coalition Welcomes Public Commitments by Marks & Spencer on Uyghur Forced Labour", 6 January 2020
... [M]ajor British multinational retailer, Marks & Spencer [has] publicly announced its formal commitment to cut all ties with suppliers implicated in Uyghur forced labour and to ban any sourcing from the Uyghur Region, from cotton to finished garments. The company has signed the Coalition to End Uyghur Forced Labour’s Call to Action, endorsed by 300+ human rights and civil society organisations...
While a number of brands and retailers, including major global fashion brands, have privately committed to the Coalition’s Call to Action pending public announcement, Marks & Spencer is the first top-tier global retailer to make its commitment public...
One in 5 cotton products sold globally are likely tainted with Uyghur forced labour... The only way by which companies can provide credible assurance that they are taking all steps to end links with the forced labour of Uyghurs is by committing to the Coalition’s Call to Action. This Call to Action lays out all the steps required to fully delink textile supply chains from the abuses being committed against Uyghurs and other Turkic and Muslim-majority peoples. By signing the Call to Action, brands commit to provide information that will allow the Coalition to verify compliance with the Call to Action commitments.