C4ADS & GRC Share New Update to Our 2023 Fractured Veins Investigation

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — In October 2023, C4ADS released Fractured Veins, a groundbreaking investigation shedding light on the utilization of forced labor in mineral extraction from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region-based (XUAR) mines. Today, C4ADS is proud to announce the launch of a new briefing produced in collaboration with the Business and Human Rights arm of Global Rights Compliance (GRC) that summarizes key insights, evaluates impact to date, and provides companies with tangible next steps.

Brief: A Six-Month Review of C4ADS’ Fractured Veins Report

Our original Fractured Veins investigation unveiled the intricate pathways through which minerals sourced from XUAR mines, utilizing forced labor, infiltrate global supply chains, and reach products that consumers use and cherish daily. Now, with the partnership of GRC, C4ADS has delved deeper to assess the tangible effects and responses generated by this critical analysis.

“Fractured Veins showed us how implicated the global market is in gold mined by forced labor in the Uyghur region,” said Irina Bukharin, Human Security Program Director at C4ADS. “It’s important to us that governments and companies alike use our findings and reports to cut forced labor from their supply chains and investments, so this update gives us the chance to reflect on progress so far and make targeted recommendations for next steps.”

After releasing Fractured Veins, we saw governmental bodies jump into action while the private sector struggled to keep pace, with the government utilizing the findings to inform enforcement action and shape their approach to assessing minerals for forced labor violations. This subsequent analysis outlines actionable steps for private entities to align their due diligence procedures with heightened governmental enforcement measures and the ethical concerns of consumers. Additionally, the briefing offers targeted recommendations aimed at enhancing the efficacy of both governmental and private-sector efforts in tackling risks and thwarting the circulation of goods tainted by forced labor within the global market.

C4ADS remains committed to its role in exposing human rights violations occurring globally. We are dedicated to continuing our efforts to illuminate and address these abuses, striving for greater accountability and justice.

Thank you for your continued support of our work. For more information about our China portfolio or Human Security program, please visit our website at c4ads.org. For any related media inquiries, please email [email protected].