A/HRC/45/8 pension payments for senior citizens.116 In Asia, the Philippines has established a COVID19 package, which includes financial support for those held in quarantine, 117 and Japan has made one-off payments to both domestic and migrant workers who have become unemployed. 118 In the Middle East, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are providing free medical testing and quarantine services for their citizens and for migrant workers. 119 79. These and other measures should be widely recognized, as they can mitigate people’s level of precariousness and hence their vulnerability to contemporary forms of slavery. However, the appropriateness and effectiveness of such measures in addressing the impacts of COVID-19 and protecting workers remain to be seen. The Special Rapporteur will therefore continue to analyse State responses to the pandemic during his tenure with a view to identifying best practices and providing guidance, as may be helpful. 80. While States are primarily responsible for ensuring that businesses comply with international standards, the private sector should abide by the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework. This is particularly the case when ensuring human rights due diligence and ensuring that contemporary forms of slavery are not part of their supply chains and recruitment practices.120 81. A number of companies have endorsed the ILO Call to Action in the garment industry.121 Some companies have supported suppliers to access finance, providing early payments to vulnerable small and medium-sized suppliers to help with financial liquidity and offering cash flow relief.122 It is also worth noting that some workers, through workers union associations, have successfully negotiated protection schemes directly with businesses. For example, the IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers’ Union, reached an agreement with employers to guarantee six weeks of full pay for 80,000 workers as the country was preparing for lockdown. 123 While these and other initiatives by businesses and employers are to be welcomed, their appropriateness and effectiveness must be carefully analysed. 3. International solidarity and cooperation 82. The erga omnes nature of protection from slavery 124 enhances the obligation to cooperate, which is stipulated, particularly in article 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In addition to direct financial assistance, technical and medical assistance, such as provision of medicines and vaccines, ventilators and personal protection equipment can free up resources to support businesses and workers domestically. 83. It is also desirable that economic sanctions and other coercive measures imposed on some States are temporarily relaxed during the pandemic. Such measures often have negative impacts on the protection and promotion of human rights,125 including the right to 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 Maximo Torero Cullen, “COVID-19 and the risk to food supply chains: how to respond?”, Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, 29 March 2020. ILO, “Social protection responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in developing countries”, p. 4. ILO, “Social protection responses to the COVID-19 crisis: country responses and policy considerations”, Social Protection Spotlight, 23 April 2020, p. 4. ILO, “Social protection for migrant workers: a necessary response to the COVID-19 crisis”, Social Protection Spotlight, 23 June 2020, p. 5. For further discussion, see A/HRC/30/35 and A/HRC/35/37. See www.ilo.org/global/topics/coronavirus/sectoral/WCMS_744285/lang--en/index.htm. Submission from Anti-Slavery International, p. 11. IndustriALL Global Union, “South African textile union wins full pay guarantee during coronavirus lockdown”, press release, 26 March 2020. Barcelona Traction, Light and Power Company, Limited (Belgium v. Spain), Judgment, I.C.J Reports 1970, p. 3 (paras. 33–34). Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, COVID-19 human rights guidance note (May 2020). Available at www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/UCM/UCMCOVID19GuidanceNote.pdf. 17