Cocoasector has failed to eliminate Child Labour
In 2001, the global chocolate industry made a commitment to end the Worst Forms of Child Labor (WFCL) and Forced Adult Labor (FAL). This commitment has proved to be an empty promise: the cocoa sector has not been able to achieve any of the six goals they set themselves.
Monday September 19th marks the tenth anniversary of this commitment, called the Harkin Engel Protocol. On this day, the 10 Campaign will be launched globally. The 10 Campaign is a joint initiative by the leading civil society organisations on cocoa throughout the world. The 10 Campaign calls on governments to take their responsibility, and, after 10 years of failed voluntary self-regulation, to implement laws to ensure that industry will finally deliver on the commitments they have made.
Ten years ago
Ten years ago the global chocolate industry, through its various trade associations, signed the Harkin-Engel Protocol, a 6-point roadmap that was to enable the elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) in the cocoa sector of Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. However, according to Tulane University, mandated by the US government to report on progress on the Protocol from 2006 to 2011, none of the Protocol’s six articles calling for action were fully implemented, and the required industry-wide reform in the cocoa sector has not taken place. Tulane also documented the systemic nature of the problem: an estimated 1.8 million children are working, some in hazardous labor conditions, in the cocoa sector of Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana.
10 Campaign
Major civil society organisations and trade unions working throughout the world on ethical cocoa (including Stop The Traffik, International Labor Rights Forum, World Vision Australia and many others) have joined the campaign to speak with one voice on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Protocol. Together they call on national and international legislative bodies to implement key legislation to ensure that companies get the task done.
Auditing, disclosure, oversight
Core asks are to implement legislation that ensure that companies have their supply chains audited by an independent 3rd party, to oblige companies to publically disclose what their efforts are to eradicate the abuses, and the implementation of an independent oversight body that reports on progress.
$1.000.000.000.000
From 2001 to 2011, the global revenue from cocoa products was an estimated USD 1 trillion. However, in order for the elimination of these practices to actually come to pass, clear and strong legislation is needed as the status quo is not acceptable: why should children toil, at the expense of their health, education and sometimes their lives, for an industry so immensely profitable?
10 years of broken promises
Since the industry has not taken responsibility for carrying out the necessary reform from within, it is now necessary for governments to regulate the activities of companies and require due diligence in their supply chain. “The chocolate industry has not come near meeting its commitments to end the abuse of children and adults in the production of cocoa in West Africa”, said Antonie Fountain, spokesperson for the 10 Campaign. “That is why the 10 Campaign calls on governments today, to ensure that companies stick to their commitment to end the abuse of children in West Africa’s cocoa sector.”
There are also things that we as consumers can do - try to buy only fair trade chocolate! If the large and unethical companies notice our changed behaviour, they will adapt, because they do what the CONSUMER (who BUYS the product) wants, not what the politicians want...
Why can countries like BENELUX work together to invest in plantation to improve the cocoa sector to create pilote projet to improve eradication of child labor in the cocoa sector. I am will to participate with our cocoa plantation to show the world that African are capable to fight for children protection. Just invest you will see the result.
caro12us@yahoo.com
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