Responsible Sourcing Network 2020 Newsletter
Today, World Day of Social Justice, is the perfect day to send out Responsible Sourcing Network’s 2020 Newsletter!
RSN has been leading the work to advance social justice for ten years, raising awareness and developing solutions to end slave labor and promote human dignity.
After many years of focusing on the injustices in the cotton fields of Uzbekistan, I am ecstatic to announce that the Uzbek government finally acknowledges the problem and is taking steps to end all forms of forced labor in its cotton sector. If progress continues as expected, we will soon be able to declare victory and encourage brands to begin to source cotton products from there with strong assurance mechanisms in place.
I have been told I have a lot of tenacity! One needs it to address the root causes of deep-seated, decades-long exploitation. Although we do not have wins every day, once we do win, we win big! When I first started this work in 2007, Uzbekistan forced an estimated one million children to
labor in the cotton fields for two months every year. What keeps me going is knowing that I have contributed to ending that practice.
Thank you so much for your contributions over the years! Your support keeps me strong and together we will stay the course until change occurs.
With sincere gratitude,
Patricia Jurewicz
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
Patricia just returned from traveling to Uzbekistan with a Cotton Campaign delegation for another round of meetings with high-level ministers inside the Uzbek government – the third round of discussions in the past year. The Government of Uzbekistan is very anxious for us to end our boycott of Uzbek cotton, which over 300 brands and retailers support through our Uzbek Cotton Pledge. Together with members of the Cotton Campaign, we are currently reviewing actions the government is implementing to meet the recommended outcomes outlined in the Roadmap of Reforms.
We are pleased with the seriousness of the government’s intent to implement needed reforms. We are discussing what comes next with fellow Cotton Campaign members and the brands and retailers that are pledge signatories.
We will be deliberating in March at an annual convening and will make a decision if it is time to change or modify the pledge.
If you are interested in learning more and contributing to the conversation about next steps, join us in Washington, DC on March 25th and 26th. A pre-call for brands is in the works. Please send an email to info@sourcingnetwork.org to stay up-to-date on communications.
YESS STANDARD AND WORKBOOK ARE AVAILABLE!
After three years of conducting research, gathering feedback, and testing feasibility with spinners, the foundational documents for RNS’s initiative, YESS: Yarn Ethically & Sustainably Sourced, the YESS Standard and Assessment Workbook are available! Once fully implemented, YESS will assist the apparel and home goods industry to have value chain transparency all the way to cotton fields, and assure no cotton harvested with forced labor is entering the global textile industry.
YESS is ready to pilot and roll out. We are discussing with international brands and industry-wide initiatives the most appropriate way to conduct a pilot and integrate YESS with other efforts to ensure value chains are ethical and sustainable. Companies, foundations, associations, and multi-stakeholder initiatives are all invited to partner with us to amplify the impact of YESS.
MINING THE DISCLOSURES EXPANDS TO COBALT
For the first time, in the release of RSN’s sixth annual Mining the Disclosures report, along with an ongoing review of tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG), RSN analyzed companies’ actions to address human rights abuses affiliated with cobalt mining. Starting in 2016 with the publication of a report by Amnesty International highlighting the prevalence of child labor in Congolese artisanal cobalt mines, there has been growing pressure on companies to address the abuses. For our 2019 report, we analyzed and ranked companies in the technology, automotive, and jet engine sectors on their due diligence efforts. The jet engine sector in particular is greatly lagging.
As our society continues to embed technology and electrification into our daily lives, the demand for 3TG and cobalt will continue to rise. It is important to hold companies accountable for their sourcing practices so they are not inadvertently contributing to violence, extortion, child labor, and other human rights abuses affiliated with mining. Although there is a law that mandates companies to report on their 3TG due diligence efforts, it is minimally enforced. Rankings such as Mining the Disclosures keeps the pressure on companies to continuously improve their value chain due diligence efforts.
CONTINUED CHALLENGES WITH TURKMEN COTTON
As in previous years, during the 2019 harvest, government officials resorted to massive coercion and forced mobilization of public sector employees to pick cotton. If employees of schools, hospitals, and state institutions were not willing to go to the fields, they were required to pay for replacement workers out of their own salaries.
To demonstrate to the Government of Turkmenistan that forced labor in cotton harvesting is unacceptable and will be shunned by international companies that produce clothing and home goods, in 2017 RSN launched the Turkmen Cotton Pledge. The pledge currently has 70 brand and retailer signatories. If you work with or know of a company that sells cotton products and is not on our pledge list, please encourage it to join us. RSN also hosts an investor statement on Turkmenistan cotton that encourages brands and retailers to sign the pledge and take action.
ON THE HORIZON: CHINA
Over the last year there has been a growing awareness of the inhumane treatment of Uighur, Muslim, and other minority populations in the Xinjiang province of China. Forced “re-education” and prison camps are widespread, and there is evidence that the minority populations are forced to labor in many yarn, textile, and apparel production facilities, as well as in the cotton harvesting in that region.
RSN has begun to participate in conversations with a variety of stakeholders to determine actions that need to be taken by the international community to encourage the Chinese government to end these horrific practices. Read RSN’s blog post on cotton sourcing from Xinjiang and recommended actions. Our YESS initiative is one piece of the puzzle to ensure global textile value chains are free of forced labor from Xinjiang.
OUR COMMITMENT
Thank you for your part to end modern slavery! We will continue to work to bring RSN’s mission to fruition: Championing human rights with vulnerable communities in the mining and harvesting of raw materials found in products we use every day. Throughout 2020 we will be implementing solutions for the invisible and enslaved workers of the world whose exploited labor is unknowingly embedded in our favorite goods.