Following the meeting of the U.S. – E.U. Trade and Technology Council, the McCain Institute at Arizona State University issued the following statement with the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, Walk Free, Humanity United, and The Freedom Fund applauding the council’s focus on eliminating forced labor in supply chains:
“The transatlantic relationship is enduring and important because it is built on shared values, including a commitment to human rights. Reaffirming that commitment, U.S. and E.U. leaders met earlier this week as part of the U.S. – E.U. Trade and Technology Council to discuss how to best implement policies to eliminate forced labor from global supply chains.
“We applaud the U.S. and E.U. for commitments made at this important meeting and for recognizing that partnerships with business and labor unions are critical to meet today’s challenges faced by workers around the world. As members of the NGO community, we look forward to working with all committed parties, including those in government, business and labor, and importantly, survivors and those with lived experiences, to accelerate progress toward eradicating forced labor from global markets. We offer our appreciation to USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai, U.S. DOL Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs Thea Lee, and European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis for their efforts to protect workers’ rights and ensure that products tainted with forced labor have no place in U.S. and E.U. markets.”