The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region lies in far Western China and is of strategic importance. The Belt and Road Initiative runs through it, and the Chinese government is pouring millions of dollars into the area for both development and security. However, the government is violating the rights of millions of Uyghurs and other ethnic groups who call Xinjiang home. Ubiquitous surveillance, thousands of extrajudicial detention facilities, and large-scale forced labor are just some of the tactics the government is using in an effort to stamp out dissent and secure the region. Xinjiang presents one of the direst human rights situations in the world, but how can multilateral institutions, governments, companies, and we as consumers start to shift such practices? It’s a thorny question with no single answer. Amy Lehr, Director and Senior Fellow of the CSIS Human Rights Initiative, will take us through past case studies and policy options to point to potential ways forward.
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The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region lies in far Western China and is of strategic importance. The Belt and Road Initiative runs through it, and the Chinese government is pouring millions of dollars into the area for both development and security. However, the government is violating the rights of millions of Uyghurs and other ethnic groups who call Xinjiang home. Ubiquitous surveillance, thousands of extrajudicial detention facilities, and large-scale forced labor are just some of the tactics the government is using in an effort to stamp out dissent and secure the region. Xinjiang presents one of the direst human rights situations in the world, but how can multilateral institutions, governments, companies, and we as consumers start to shift such practices? It’s a thorny question with no single answer. Amy Lehr, Director and Senior Fellow of the CSIS Human Rights Initiative, will take us through past case studies and policy options to point to potential ways forward.
This last miniseries episode dives into the complexities of global supply chains and the huge challenges involved in tracing cotton from the field to the clothing we wear. We speak to Patricia Jurewicz, founder and Vice President of the Responsible Sourcing Network and on the advisory committee of the Cotton Campaign about the supply chain and innovative approaches to traceability. With Sharon Waxman, we discuss other models for supply chain traceability as well as policy prescriptions to address the crisis in Xinjiang. Sharon is President and CEO of the Fair Labor Association, and previously served in senior roles at the US State Department and the International Rescue Committee.
Follow This Thread: Made in Xinjiang?
The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region lies in far Western China and is of strategic importance. The Belt and Road Initiative runs through it, and the Chinese government is pouring millions of dollars into the area for both development and security. However, the government is violating the rights of millions of Uyghurs and other ethnic groups who call Xinjiang home. Ubiquitous surveillance, thousands of extrajudicial detention facilities, and large-scale forced labor are just some of the tactics the government is using in an effort to stamp out dissent and secure the region. Xinjiang presents one of the direst human rights situations in the world, but how can multilateral institutions, governments, companies, and we as consumers start to shift such practices? It’s a thorny question with no single answer. Amy Lehr, Director and Senior Fellow of the CSIS Human Rights Initiative, will take us through past case studies and policy options to point to potential ways forward.
