Human rights abuses have worsened significantly across Asia’s major manufacturing hubs since the start of the pandemic, prompting calls for a more innovative approach to supply chain due diligence from buyers and financial institutions.
Modern slavery, child labour and occupational health and safety hazards are all found to have intensified over the past five years, according to new research into human rights violations carried out by risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft.
The risk of forced labour in Myanmar, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Cambodia – all identified as key sourcing countries for manufactured goods – has been upgraded from “high” to “extreme”, it says, putting them on a par with China and Pakistan.
