Trade agreements, business and human rights: the case of export processing zones

This report was prepared to inform the mandate of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Business and Human Rights. The proliferation [of Export Processing Zones (EPZs)] has been of some concern to many within the human rights movement, primarily because of some evidence of low and deteriorating labor standards within these zones. The human rights impacts of EPZs include more than labor issues…This paper draws on this existing work in exploring the relationship between trade agreements, business and human rights based on the Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework for dealing with business and human rights, first set forth by the Special Representative in 2008. This paper focuses on the implementation and operationalization of the Framework’s first pillar, the State ‘duty to protect’ in the context of EPZs.