In the current globalization context, various countries around the world, including Vietnam, are constantly accelerating the process of international economic integration through activities to expand comprehensive cooperation at several different levels, especially negotiating and signing new-generation free trade agreements. In addition to traditional trade issues, new-generation free trade agreements also address non-trade aspects such as labour, specifically international labour standards. This article will study and shed light on legal aspects related to the elimination of forced labour which is one of the four international labour standards in two strategic new-generation free trade agreements to which Vietnam is a member in particular, including the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the European Union (EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement – EVFTA). Moreover, the article analyses, evaluates and gives some comments on the similarities and differences of Vietnam’s labour law and the two aforementioned free trade agreements on the elimination of forced labour, thereby proposing some recommendations to effectively implement the obligation set forth under the two mentioned agreements.

Keywords: forced labour, EVFTA, CPTPP, Vietnam labour law