Canada’s corporate ethics watchdog will examine the potential use of Uyghur in the operations of companies like Walmart and Hugo Boss. Western governments have raised concerns about the genocide and rights abuses suffered by this minority group.
Canadian authorities have initiated an inquiry into human rights transgressions by the Canadian branches of Walmart and Hugo Boss. The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), responsible for investigating claims of human rights violations, scrutinizes assertions of forced labor within their supply chains.
The investigation is centered on whether the activities or products of these companies involved coerced labor from China’s Uyghur Muslims. The companies have dismissed the allegations and refrained from engaging in the preliminary assessments.
Other companies like Nike Canada and Ralph Lauren are also under CORE’s investigation, following complaints from a coalition of 28 civil society organizations. Walmart Canada has asserted its intolerance for any form of forced labor in its operations.
