A/HRC/45/8 exploitation, and recruiting vulnerable individuals in criminal activities. 77 For example, reports from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland indicate that, during disruptions of provision of services and school closures, criminal groups targeted children who usually rely on the child protection system and used them in criminal activities, such as supplying drugs.78 10. Shifts in labour demand and contemporary forms of slavery 54. In addition to the emerging body of evidence indicating the increasing risks of contemporary forms of slavery for those in the most precarious situations, the pandemic has provided strong incentives for some businesses to exploit workers. 79 The sectors involved include industries that produce, process and provide essential items such as food, medicines and medical equipment, which have seen a sudden surge in the demand for workers as a result of COVID-19. The pressure to ramp up production and restructure supply chains under increased time pressure has adverse impacts on workers. 55. For example, several alleged labour rights violations have been reported in the rubber glove manufacturing sector in Malaysia regarding non-compliance with social distancing, occupational safety and health, excessive overtime with no pay, forced labour, as well as inadequate living conditions.80 In South Africa, the Government reported that in a factory producing medical masks, workers were prevented from leaving the premises and forced to work to meet the sudden spike in demand.81 56. Furthermore, the crisis seems to have adversely affected the ability to ensure due diligence in supply chains. Some Governments have reportedly ordered personal protective equipment produced by companies that are allegedly associated with forced labour.82 In the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the authorities introduced a temporary licence scheme that reportedly simplified the procedures regulating facilitation of the supply of workers for food production. The result was reportedly a risk of insufficient oversight and a lack of due diligence to protect workers against exploitation. 83 11. Dismantled labour laws and failing reporting and oversight mechanisms 57. Despite an increasing body of evidence suggesting that the COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in severe, adverse impacts on the health, dignity and rights of workers globally, their ability to report abuse has been limited as mechanisms and legal protections of their rights appear to be increasingly failing.84 58. Labour rights and social protection regulations are reportedly being removed or relaxed in some countries, extending the workday or suspending laws that regulate the minimum wage and protect freedom of association. Examples of such policies, risking further erosion of working conditions, were reported in China, India, Saudi Arabia and Viet Nam, as well as some States in Latin America.85 59. Furthermore, the capacity of government agencies to monitor and detect violations of labour rights may be impacted by the lockdown measures and diversion of resources. For 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 12 Europol, “Beyond the pandemic: how COVID-19 will shape the serious and organised crime landscape in the EU”, 30 April 2020; and INTERPOL, “COVID-19 impact on migrant smuggling and human trafficking”, 11 June 2020. Submission from Every Child Protected Against Trafficking (ECPAT UK), p. 7. Angharad Smith and James Cockayne, “The impact of COVID-19 on modern slavery”, Delta 8.7, 27 March 2020. ILO, “COVID-19: impact on migrant workers and country response in Malaysia”, update 8 May 2020. See www.gov.za/speeches/mec-nomusa-dube-ncube-arrest-factory-owner-manufacturing-masks-29mar-2020-0000. Freedom United, “Medical glove shortage sees US lift ban on company accused of forced labour”, 27 March 2020. Submission from Rights Lab. Information received from ILO and submission from Rights Lab. Submission from Anti-Slavery International, p. 7.