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Ensuring clauses on human rights are included in trade agreements can demonstrate the UK’s values...

Conclusion
Ensuring clauses on human rights are included in trade agreements can demonstrate the UK’s values and principles in terms of forced labour. (Conclusion, Paragraph 200)
Government Response
Response Pending
HM Government Response Pending
The Government recognises that free trade agreements are an important tool to help prevent, identify and eliminate forced labour in global supply chains. The UK will continue to pursue the inclusion of forced labour provisions in our free trade agreements. The UK has specific articles on forced labour in its FTAs with Australia, New Zealand and in the CPTPP. In the UK-NZ FTA, for instance, both parties commit to tackling forced labour within supply chains; and in the recently signed UK-India FTA both countries agreed to provisions to discourage forced and compulsory labour. FTAs are however just one of the UK’s tools for addressing forced labour in supply chains. The Developing Countries Trading Scheme allows for the suspension of preferential trading agreements on grounds of serious violation of labour rights, and UK Export Finance reviews social, and human rights risk factors for transactions in scope of their policy. Work also continues in the multilateral space to support the eradication of forced labour in global supply chains, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 8.7
Addressee Bodies
Ministry of Justice
Timeline
Recommendation age 0.9 yr
Report published 24 Jul 2025