10 May 2023, 11:45 – 19:00 CET

Chamber of Deputies, the State Archives room, 118 26 Prague 1 - Malá Strana (Sněmovní 4 entrance)

The Prague Security Studies Institute organized a conference entitled "Sanctioning Forced Labor Trafficking: EU and U.S. Models." The conference took take place on May 10, 2023 at the Chamber of Deputies, the State Archives room, Malá Strana (Sněmovní 4 entrance).

 

The conference aimed to combat the use of forced labor and ban products made using forced labor predominantly in China. This discussion will examine the present legislation models of the European Union (EU) and the United States (US) for sanctioning forced labor and discuss options for strengthening the existing transatlantic sanctions regimes, including through the leverage offered by capital markets sanctions.

Not surprisingly, Chinese companies trafficking in forced labor would be desperately concerned if their access to the European and American exchanges was at risk due to their heinous labor rights violations. As things presently stand, for example, Chinese forced labor companies, including the 50 publicly traded Chinese firms recently unearthed by the Coalition For A Prosperous America (CPA), are not required even to be identified, much less subject to capital markets sanctions.  

Through panel discussions, our attending experts dived into the potential requirements and recommendations for establishing just legislation, sanctioning companies that use forced labor, and preventing them from entering Western markets, including capital markets. 

The conference was organized by the Prague Security Studies Institute in collaboration with the Forum For Human Rights and the Uyghur Human Rights Project. The event was held under the auspices of Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies.

 

The program

11:45-13:00: Registration and Lunch

13:00-13:30: Opening Remarks by Markéta Pekarová Adamová, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies; Roger W. Robinson Jr., Chairman and Co-Founder of the Prague Security Studies Institute 

13:45-15:00: Panel 1

• Moderator: Luke De Pulford, Founder and Executive Director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China

• Speakers:

  • Roger W. Robinson Jr., Chairman and Co-Founder of the Prague Security Studies Institute;

  • Louisa Greve, Director of Global Advocacy for the Uyghur Human Rights Project;

  • Eva Decroix, Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic.

15:00-15:30: Coffee Break

15:30-16:45: Panel 2

• Moderator: Roger W. Robinson Jr., Chairman and Co-Founder of the Prague Security Studies Institute

• Speakers:

  • Michael Stumo, Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition for a Prosperous America;

  • Madelaine Tuininga, Head of the Unit in DG Trade of the European Commission;

  • Ben Vanpeperstraete, Senior legal advisor at ECCHR’s Business and Human Rights program.

17:00-19:00: Closing Reception