Opinion: What to do about child labor in

our smart phones and watches

By Juliane Kippenberg, Human Rights Watch on 06.07.16
Word Count 825

A child stands next to blackened zinc sheets, used in illegal gold mining, at the municipal-owned G Hostel on the
outskirts of Welkom, South Africa, Oct. 10, 2007. Photo: AP Photo/Peter Dejong

I recently met Joshua in Ghana. Joshua was about 7 years old and worked in a gold
mine. Surrounded by dust and noise from rock crushing machines, his job was to shovel
and pan gold ore. Joshua and his friends were also breathing in poisonous mercury fumes
released into the air during gold processing.
Joshua is one of an estimated 1 million children who work in artisanal and small-scale
mines in Asia, Africa and Latin America. These mines are operated with simple machinery
and are often part of the informal sector.
This week, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has a
chance to do something about this. The OECD hosts a forum at its headquarters in Paris,
assessing whether current sourcing of minerals meet the OECDs own 2011 Due Diligence
Guidance. The Guidance sets out ve steps that companies need to take to ensure they
do not contribute to serious human rights abuses, such as the worst forms of child labor. It
applies not only to conict regions, but also to high-risk areas with institutional
weaknesses, such as Ghana.

So far, the OECD has not done enough to tackle child labor in minerals supply chains. Its
focus has been on the important issue of conict minerals, and on the steps companies
should take to source minerals from the conict-torn Great Lakes region responsibly. The
issue of child labor has been given far less attention, and tangible action by the OECD,
governments or companies remains scant.
Human Rights Watch has documented the risks children face when they work in artisanal
and small-scale gold mining. Children have died when mining pits have collapsed,
suffered injury from accidents, and risked mercury poisoning. Mercury, a liquid metal used
to attract gold particles during the processing of the gold ore, causes brain damage, heart
and lung conditions and other irreparable health damage. Work in mining also takes a toll
on childrens education: child miners often nd it difcult to attend school regularly, and
sometimes drop out altogether.
Human Rights Watch research in Ghana, Mali, the Philippines and Tanzania has found that
governments and businesses are not doing enough to tackle child labor in mining. These
countries have laws and government institutions to eliminate child labor, but the laws
remain unenforced, and the institutions are weak. Businesses sometimes fail to do their
due diligence to ensure that their supply chains are free from child labor. Many local gold
traders do not check the labor conditions at the mining sites they source from, and
sometimes even buy gold from child laborers. And so this tainted gold enters the supply
chains of global companies. Around 15 percent of the worlds gold supply comes from
artisanal and small-scale gold mines.
In Ghana, we found that traders bought gold from unlicensed mines, where child labor was
common, and sold it to export companies which had insufcient safeguards in place to
identify and lter out gold mined by children. Some of these companies exported gold to
leading reneries in Dubai and Switzerland, such as Metalor, Emirates Gold and Kaloti.
This way, gold processed by Joshua may end up in our watches, smartphones or other
goods.
There are some hopeful signs at the OECD. At this weeks OECD forum, participants will
debate a potential toolkit that companies could use to detect child labor in their supply
chains. The OECD is also increasingly integrating child labor issues into its work. These
are good rst steps that could convince companies in the minerals supply chain that
safeguards against child labor can be put in place.
What is needed is a concerted effort by the OECD, governments and companies.
Companies at all points in the supply chain should conduct robust child labor due
diligence. They need to have management systems in place to identify child labor risks in
the supply chain; respond to the risks identied; carry out independent third-party
monitoring; and publicly report on their due diligence efforts. In addition, companies
should work on a broader industry initiative on child labor in mining, akin to similar
industry-led initiatives on child labor in cocoa and tobacco. The OECD forum should
support such industry efforts by providing guidance, a space for discussion and seeking
expert input.

Finally, the OECD and its member states need to sharpen their teeth. Voluntary codes of
conduct and standards are not enough to achieve responsible sourcing by minerals
companies. The OECD should create a mechanism to effectively monitor implementation
of their Due Diligence Guidance, including reviewing it regularly and publicly. Member
states should make human rights due diligence a legal requirement for all business
sectors, such as is currently being considered by the French parliament, and vote for an
international treaty on human rights and global supply chains at the International Labor
Conference later this month.
Taking these steps would help make the future of children like Joshua look brighter.

Juliane Kippenberg is associate director of the Children's Rights Division of

Human Rights Watch.

Quiz
1

Read the sentence from the article.

The issue of child labor has been given far less attention, and tangible
action by the OECD, governments or companies remains scant.
What does the word "scant" suggest about the actions of the OECD, governments and
companies?

(A)

They are unnished.

(B)

They are plentiful.

(C)

They are remarkable.

(D)

They are unsatisfactory.

Read the sentence from the article.

In Ghana, we found that traders bought gold from unlicensed mines,

where child labor was common, and sold it to export companies which
had insufcient safeguards in place to identify and lter out gold
mined by children.
Which phrase BEST captures the meaning of "insufcient safeguards" in the sentence?
(A)

inadequate protections

(B)

unenforceable laws

(C)

inappropriate consequences

(D)

disorganized guidelines

The author believes the companies can positively inuence common practices within gold
mining.
Which of the following selections supports the author's perspective?

(A)

So far, the OECD has not done enough to tackle child labor in minerals
supply chains.

(B)

Human Rights Watch has documented the risks children face when they
work in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

(C)

There are some hopeful signs at the OECD. At this weeks OECD forum,
participants will debate a potential toolkit that companies could use to
detect child labor in their supply chains.

(D)

In addition, companies should work on a broader industry initiative on child

labor in mining, akin to similar industry-led initiatives on child labor in cocoa
and tobacco.

Which selection BEST captures the author's purpose and perspective in this article?
(A)

Joshua is one of an estimated 1 million children who work in artisanal and

small-scale mines in Asia, Africa and Latin America. These mines are
operated with simple machinery and are often part of the informal sector.

(B)

So far, the OECD has not done enough to tackle child labor in minerals
supply chains. Its focus has been on the important issue of conict minerals,
and on the steps companies should take to source minerals from the
conict-torn Great Lakes region responsibly. The issue of child labor has
been given far less attention, and tangible action by the OECD,
governments or companies remains scant.

(C)

There are some hopeful signs at the OECD. At this weeks OECD forum,
participants will debate a potential toolkit that companies could use to
detect child labor in their supply chains. The OECD is also increasingly
integrating child labor issues into its work. These are good rst steps that
could convince companies in the minerals supply chain that safeguards
against child labor can be put in place.

(D)

What is needed is a concerted effort by the OECD, governments and

companies. Companies at all points in the supply chain should conduct
robust child labor due diligence. They need to have management systems in
place to identify child labor risks in the supply chain; respond to the risks
identied; carry out independent third-party monitoring; and publicly report
on their due diligence efforts.

Answer Key
1

Read the sentence from the article.

The issue of child labor has been given far less attention, and tangible
action by the OECD, governments or companies remains scant.
What does the word "scant" suggest about the actions of the OECD, governments and
companies?

(A)

They are unnished.

(B)

They are plentiful.

(C)

They are remarkable.

(D)

They are unsatisfactory.

Read the sentence from the article.

In Ghana, we found that traders bought gold from unlicensed mines,

where child labor was common, and sold it to export companies which
had insufcient safeguards in place to identify and lter out gold
mined by children.
Which phrase BEST captures the meaning of "insufcient safeguards" in the sentence?
(A)

inadequate protections

(B)

unenforceable laws

(C)

inappropriate consequences

(D)

disorganized guidelines

The author believes the companies can positively inuence common practices within gold
mining.
Which of the following selections supports the author's perspective?

(A)

So far, the OECD has not done enough to tackle child labor in minerals
supply chains.

(B)

Human Rights Watch has documented the risks children face when they
work in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.

(C)

There are some hopeful signs at the OECD. At this weeks OECD forum,
participants will debate a potential toolkit that companies could use to
detect child labor in their supply chains.

(D)

In addition, companies should work on a broader industry initiative on

child labor in mining, akin to similar industry-led initiatives on child
labor in cocoa and tobacco.

Which selection BEST captures the author's purpose and perspective in this article?
(A)

Joshua is one of an estimated 1 million children who work in artisanal and

small-scale mines in Asia, Africa and Latin America. These mines are
operated with simple machinery and are often part of the informal sector.

(B)

So far, the OECD has not done enough to tackle child labor in minerals
supply chains. Its focus has been on the important issue of conict minerals,
and on the steps companies should take to source minerals from the
conict-torn Great Lakes region responsibly. The issue of child labor has
been given far less attention, and tangible action by the OECD,
governments or companies remains scant.

(C)

There are some hopeful signs at the OECD. At this weeks OECD forum,
participants will debate a potential toolkit that companies could use to
detect child labor in their supply chains. The OECD is also increasingly
integrating child labor issues into its work. These are good rst steps that
could convince companies in the minerals supply chain that safeguards
against child labor can be put in place.

(D)

What is needed is a concerted effort by the OECD, governments and

companies. Companies at all points in the supply chain should conduct
robust child labor due diligence. They need to have management
systems in place to identify child labor risks in the supply chain;
respond to the risks identified; carry out independent third-party
monitoring; and publicly report on their due diligence efforts.