Human rights news and archive

How useful are grievance mechanisms for garment workers? Insights from Bangladesh’s Amader Kotha helpline

After the Rana Plaza building collapse on 24th April 2013 in Savar near Dhaka in Bangladesh, two initiatives emerged that were tasked with improving situations in the country’s ready-made garment (RMG) sector: the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety (Accord) and the Bangladesh Alliance for Worker Safety (Alliance). The loss of more...

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From words to measurable impact: OECD due diligence forum urges transition

The main sessions of the 2026 OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector, which took place on 11 and 12 February, centred on the urgent transition from a culture of compliance to one of tangible impact, specifically focusing on how global brands must navigate an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape. In his opening...

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Salvadoran President accuses Paris Fashion Week of ‘glorifying criminals’

San Salvador – Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele, criticised Paris Fashion Week on Sunday for "glorifying criminals", following a show which depicted, as a protest, prisoners held in El Salvador’s maximum-security mega-prison. Mexican-born, US designer Willy Chavarria presented a show in Paris on Friday in which several tattooed men knelt,...

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EU member states aim to significantly dilute supply chain act

EU member states sought to significantly dilute the European Supply Chain Act. A majority of countries voted to apply the human rights protection law only to companies with more than 5,000 employees, instead of the previous threshold of 1,000, the member states announced. In addition, the turnover threshold was to be raised from 450 million...

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China retaliates, claims PVH engaged in 'inappropriate' practices in Xinjiang region

Findings of a preliminary investigation into PVH have alleged that the US fashion giant engaged in improper practices within China’s Xinjiang region, the country’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has said. The Tommy Hilfiger parent company is among a number of firms from the US that are claimed to have engaged in “inappropriate conduct” in the...

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Report: Ralph Lauren, Coach and Gucci among brands linked to alleged human rights abuses

A report by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre has uncovered 28 cases of alleged human rights abuses related to the purchasing practices of large scale, global brands. The organisation said the cases identified and tracked over a nine month period, from January to September 2024, were “global in scale and have impacted thousands of...

Who makes our clothes? Fashion Production Explained

Ever wondered who actually makes your clothes and how fashion's supply chain impacts workers' lives? This deep dive unpacks how fashion production works and explores what’s needed for meaningful change in the industry. FashionUnited interviewed Kim van der Weerd, a former factory manager with a background in human rights, who advocates for a...

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Lush highlights UK human rights issues in new campaign

Cosmetics retailer Lush has brought a new campaign to British high streets that aims to highlight alleged human rights issues in the region alongside collaborator EachOther. The charity’s briefing paper, ‘Don’t Let Human Rights be a Dirty Word’, has been used to form the basis of the “public education campaign”, Lush said, which will run in all...

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Germany stalls EU supply chain law to protect human rights

A new European supply chain law that would hold companies accountable for any abuses against workers in the global supply chain, has been placed on hold as a German government coalition partner has not greenlit Germany’s support. The law would protect those most vulnerable from child and forced labour, unsafe and exploitative working conditions...

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Nike investors vote against pay equity and human rights proposals

Nike is continuing to face scrutiny for its handling of allegations of pay inequity and human rights misconduct, with the sportswear giant’s investors now understood to have voted against proposals that aimed to resolve such issues. The company had seen increased pressure from two activist investors in recent months, each calling on Nike to...

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UK court rules against allegations that government failed to halt Xinjiang imports

The UK’s High Court has ruled against human rights campaigners that brought forward a case claiming British crime and customs authorities had failed to stop the importation of cotton from China’s Xinjiang region, which has been at the centre of allegations of forced labour. In the filing, the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and World Uyghur...

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Tesco faces lawsuit from low-paid factory workers sewing F&F jeans

Tesco is facing a lawsuit over allegations that jeans from its F&F fashion range were made under forced labour conditions. The supermarket giant, which retails jeans for 16 pounds, is being sued by 130 former workers from VK Garment Factury, a Thailand-based apparel manufacturer. Allegations include working 99-hour weeks for less than 4 pounds...