Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2022 to Question 128268 on Uyghurs: Forced Labour, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) accessibility of the Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsmen complaints mechanism for Uyghur people in forced labour registering complaints.

The Office of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) is an independent complaints mechanism for people who believe they are affected by International Finance Corporation (IFC) projects. CAO helps resolve issues raised about the environmental and social impacts of Projects and Sub-Projects, and also carries out reviews of IFC compliance with its environmental and social policies, assesses related harm, and recommends remedial actions where needed. Complaints are submitted in writing, may be presented in any language, and can be submitted electronically. CAO will maintain confidentiality upon receiving a complaint if requested to do so by the complainant. The UK has confidence in the CAO, and has been working with the IFC and other development finance institutions to develop stronger safeguards to reduce the risk of forced labour in supply chains.