供应链尽责理念影响下的国际投资条约中的劳工条款:国际实践与中国对策

The Impact of Supply Chain Due Diligence on Labor Provisions in International Investment Agreements:Global Practice and China's Response

晚近,供应链尽责理念日益受到重视,越来越多的国家和国际组织推动工商企业强化包括劳工权利在内的人权保护,劳工保护成为国际投资条约实践中的重要议题。越来越多的国际投资条约纳入了劳工条款,这一实践的影响是复杂的。一方面,纳入劳工条款有助于经由国际投资条约提高国际经济活动乃至全球化的普惠性。另一方面,劳工议题也可能被误用或滥用,重要表现是国际投资条约可能不当纳入劳工条款,并且国际投资仲裁庭可能不当适用劳工条款,从而导致对东道国管制权的过度制约,进而促使跨国公司采取“过度遵守”的做法。中国整体上支持供应链尽责理念,并且在投资条约实践中逐步接受劳工条款。但是,中国应当重视劳工议题被误用或滥用的风险,努力在投资条约谈判中提出适当的劳工条款,确保投资条约不偏离正确的轨道,更好维护中国作为投资东道国和母国的利益。

In the contemporary global landscape,the supply chain has emerged as the primary mechanism for worldwide resource allocation.The discourse surrounding labor standards has extended beyond international trade and into the global economy,crystallizing into the concept of"Supply Chain Due Diligence."This conceptual evolution has prompted an increasing number of countries and international organizations to advocate for heightened labor safeguards,thereby positioning labor protection as a pivotal component within the framework of International Investment Agreements(IIAs).The integration of labor provisions in a mounting array of IIAs introduces complexities.On one hand,incorporating labor issues into IIAs strikes a balance between investment promotion and labor protection through mechanisms like Investor-State Dispute Settlement(ISDS)or the State-State Dispute Settlement(SSDS).Such mechanisms are more binding compared to those employed in the international labor law,namely"moral persuasion"and""mobilization of shame."On the flip side,labor provisions in IIAs may be wielded as a novel policy instrument in global competition under the guise of Supply Chain Due Diligence,and potentially lead to a decline in both investment promotion and labor protection.Through empirical analysis of labor provisions within existing IIAs,this study identifies two predominant Western models in the international community:the"sanction-based"model led by the United States and the"promotionbased"model led by the European Union(EU).In contrast to the U.S.model's special provision for labor and investment,the EU's model prefers to"embed"labor issues within the sustainable development provision.Given the evolving nature and sustainable development provision,the EU model may prove more effective than the U.S.model when interpreted and applied dynamically,supported by a robust enforcement mechanism.Notably,ISDS arbitral tribunals in cases like Piero Foresti v.South Africa,Paushok v.Mongolia,Goetz v.Burundi,and UPS v.Canada have exercised self-restraint,fully respecting the regulatory power of host states on labor issues.However,in 2021,the EU-South Korea Panel of Experts Report adopted an assertive interpretation of labor provisions,extending labor protection obligations beyond"trade-related"issues and endowing soft law obligations with mandatory binding force by"embedding"them into the EU-South Korea FTA.This may introduce greater uncertainty in future dispute settlement practices.The labor provisions within China's IIAs are characterized by dispersion,most of which are oath or best-efforts provisions.This lack of consistency hinders the establishment of a coherent Chinese model.To safeguard mutual investment interests,China should meticulously address labor provisions in IIAs under the impact of Supply Chain Due Diligence.Considering the Chinese government's human rights stance and the institutional alignment between IIAs and ILO Conventions,both the Chinese government and enterprises should actively respond to rational IIAs content,robustly counter provisions deemed impractical,and underscore parallel competition through alternative frameworks.It is advisable to integrate"Chinese-model"labor provisions into China's IIAs,specifically,adopting a promotion-oriented mindset,systematically organizing the preamble,regulatory rights in labor matters and exceptional provisions,and incorporating a dedicated labor dispute resolution mechanism.Moreover,China should concentrate on the effective enforcement of labor provisions by aligning domestic and foreign-related rule of law in practice,thereby bolstering China's influence in the emerging landscape of IIAs.