The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise is investigating allegations that sportswear brand Nike has supply relationships with Chinese companies that benefit from Uyghur forced labour.
The Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE) ? a business and human rights dispute resolution mechanism established by Canada's government ? is carrying out an investigation following a complaint against Nike Canada Corp filed by 28 Canadian organisations.
The complaint alleges that "Nike Canada Corp has supply relationships with several Chinese companies that the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) identified as using or benefiting from Uyghur forced labour".
It also stated "there is no indication that Nike Canada Corp has taken any concrete steps to ensure beyond a reasonable doubt that forced labour is not implicated in their supply chain". Complaint alleges Nike has links to forced labour
The complaint links a number of Chinese companies that Nike has "relationships or supply chain links with" to forced labour by Uyghur people ? a mostly-Muslim ethnic group in Xinjiang, northwestern China. Large numbers of Uyghur people are alleged to be incarcerated in Chinese prison camps.
The complainants referred to findings by the ASPI in its report Uyghurs for sale and a report by Sheffield Hallam University, Laundering Cotton, to support the allegations against Nike.
According to the complainants, they contacted Nike by letter in ...