Slavery has long been banished by law in Europe (since 1863 in The
Netherlands), but it has not disappeared from the face of this earth,
nor apparently from the territory of the European Union. Thus, a recent report
by the Leiden Asia Centre (under the coordination of Prof. Remco
Breuker and Imke van Gardingen) showed how workers from North Korea were
brought to Poland in order to work in slavery-like conditions for the
shipbuilding industry there. In coordination with the researchers, a
team of journalists shot the documentary Dollar Heroes on North
Korean workers around the globe which will be shown at the end of the
event. It will be preceded by a panel discussion on the legal
accountability of a Dutch shipbuilding firm which ordered and controlled
the construction of ships in the polish shipyards where North-Korean
workers were active. Indeed, in November 2018, a North-Korean worker
lodged a criminal complaint with the Dutch prosecutor’s office against
the Dutch firm. This case raises important questions on the potential
criminal liability of corporations for instances of slavery inside their
transnational supply chains.
Programme
15:00 - 16:30 – Panel discussion on the
criminal liability of Dutch shipbuilders for the exploitation of North
Korean workers in Polish Shipyards:
- Imke van Gardingen (FNV)
- Barbara van Straaten (Prakken d’Oliveira)
- Prof. Cedric Ryngaert (Utrecht University)
- Prof. Remco Breuker (Leiden University)
- Antoine Duval (Asser Institute) - Moderator
16:30 – 18:00 – Showing of Dollar Heroes followed by a Q&A with Sebastian Weis (Vice) and Prof. Remco Breuker (Leiden University)
Please register HERE!