Jewish World Watch commends the United States Senate for unanimously passing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), a bill that sets the new international gold standard in forced labor prevention.
“The bold leadership shown by Congress in unanimously passing this bipartisan and bicameral bill cannot be understated,” said Serena Oberstein, Executive Director of Jewish World Watch. “We are optimistic that the Biden Administration will keep to its word and swiftly sign the bill into law.”
The bill bans all goods produced in the Uyghur region of China from being imported into the United States unless Customs and Border Protection can firmly establish that said goods were free of Uyghur slave labor. It further combats Uyghur forced labor by imposing additional sanctions on human rights violators.
Jewish World Watch is proud to have fought for this bill alongside our Uyghur sisters and brothers. Our collective responsibility is to protect vulnerable populations from mass atrocities, including crimes against humanity and genocide. This unanimous decision by Congress is one step toward fulfilling the United States’ longstanding commitment to moral leadership in the world and strengthening its standing as a leader in the fight against genocide and mass atrocities.
The UFLPA protects Uyghur human rights and positively impacts American consumers who will be protected from unwittingly purchased products tainted by slave labor.
We look forward to the official signing and, more importantly, implementing this legislation. Jewish World Watch will continue to pressure United States leadership to ensure the bill’s standards are upheld.