Presentation by Pact on the worst forms of child labour. Day 3 of the 6th ICGLR-OECD-UN GoE Forum on responsible mineral supply chains, 15 November 2013. Visit: http://mneguidelines.oecd.org/icglr-oecd-un-forum-kigali-2013.htm

1. Breaking the Chain
Ending the Supply of Child-Mined Minerals
through Targeted, Informed Interventions

2. Framing the Problem
• Conflict minerals are a separate challenge from child
labor
• Challenge for companies to address child labor in order
to be compliant with OECD Guidance
• Traceability and due diligence have improved monitoring
of the mines, but without programs to deal with child
labor, the problem will prevail
• Lack of legislation and regulation is not the problem
• Simply saying “no” to child labor is not an option and
won’t solve the problem

3. Process so far
• Raised concerns at three
consecutive OECD meetings
• Received support from GE
Foundation to enable research
and planning
• Field research in Katanga with
wide range of stakeholders
• Published report in English
and French
• Presentation in DRC and USA

4. Three categories of children
1. Children who work with their family units
•
•
Pipeline from childcare to child miner
Work after school and on school holidays
2. Children who work with 3rd party adults
•
•
•
Most vulnerable group
Orphaned or abandoned children, at risk of
trafficking or abuse
Unlikely to be in school full time / consistently
3. Adolescents
•
•
•
Pocket money, discretionary income
May be excluded from school
May not consider themselves children or may
already have children of their own

5. Structures that perpetuate WFCL
• Marriage practices, lack of family planning, widespread
teenage pregnancy, associated child relocation
• Lack of child care resources
• Parents being incapacitated, lack of experience and
parenting skills, dilution of cultural values
• Education access, quality, relevance, cost
• Lack of other opportunities, especially those which can
compete with ASM for immediate income
• Conflict displacement and migration
• Lack of social services and child protection
• Lack of law enforcement

6. Recommendations
• Child-focused approach to prioritize the most vulnerable
• Create a continuum of care to address the needs of
children and prevent future incidences of child labor
• Practical solutions recognizing constraints and
realities, building on current, successful initiatives and
experience
• Create a platform for collaboration, leveraging existing
initiatives and OECD focus on conflict minerals
• Articulate specific guidance that leads to action
• Pilot model interventions and bring to scale in target
areas

7. Consider…
The biggest barrier to action is
concern that the problem of child
labor is insurmountable.
This is not the case.
Collective, smart interventions will
make a difference.
Adherence to OECD Guidance
offers an exceptional opportunity
for action.

8. Thank you. Murakoze.
Merci. Asante Sana.
Please do not reproduce any Pact photographs of children in publications

9. Examples of interventions
Immediate care/support
• Identification & direct care
of most vulnerable
• Child protection
infrastructure support
• Education support
• Household economic
strengthening
• Improved food security
• Community & peer support
& monitoring programs
• Community action
campaigns including childled actions
Prevention
• Agreement on WFCL
(definition, obligations) as it
relates to OECD
• Investment in formalization
of ASM
• Women’s professional
development
• Family planning education
and services

10. Hours children work and what they earn