Submitted by crinadmin on
Following international outcry in the 1990s over child labour in
supply chains, this issue is now seen as one of the biggest risks
to a company's reputation, and elimination of child labour has
now become part of corporate social responsibility. Worldwide,
children perform many different jobs in a huge range of
conditions. International and national laws set minimum ages for
different kinds of work. Yet the way in which child workers are
treated is often far from ethical.
This publication outlines a genuinely ethical approach to child
labour - where children's best interests are the key consideration
in business decisions. This approach is based on the key
principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
Child 1989. It answers common questions to which business
people are seeking answers, and suggests
measures that a socially responsible company and its suppliers
can take to address child labour. It is aimed primarily at business
managers of international companies in the retail sector and their
suppliers, from multinational companies to small and medium-
sized enterprises.