Global accord against child labour in chocolate and cocoa

A new global agreement aimed at fighting child and forced labour was signed in November 2001 by the social partners in the chocolate and cocoa sector. The accord, one of the first of its kind, commits the signatory parties to cooperating to try to eradicate these practices.

A common statement on fighting child and forced labour was signed on 30 November 2001 by the main world-level social partners in the chocolate and cocoa sector. On the trade union side this was the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Associations (IUF). On the employer side, the signatory parties included a range of national and international bodies (such as the US Chocolate Manufacturers' Association, the Cocoa Association of London, the Cocoa Merchants' Association of America, the European Cocoa Association, CAOBISCO and the International Cocoa Organisation) representing all major interests in the global cocoa and chocolate industry, including the major chocolate manufacturers. Three non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also signed (the Child Labor Coalition, Free The Slaves and the US National Consumers League). The common statement was witnessed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The signatories recognise 'the urgent need to identify and eliminate child labour' in violation of ILO Convention No. 182 on the elimination of the worse forms of child labour with respect to the growing and processing of cocoa beans and their derivative products. They also recognise the need to identify and eliminate 'with equal urgency' practices in violation of ILO Convention No. 29 on forced labour.

The common statement expresses the 'shared commitment of the signatories to work collaboratively toward the goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labour and forced labour in cocoa growing'. It states that the strategies developed as part of this process will only be 'credible to the public and meet the expectations of consumers' if there is 'committed engagement' on the part of governments, global industry, cocoa producers, labour representatives, NGOs and consumers.

The signatories recognise the need to work with the ILO, which will play an important role in identifying positive strategies, including alternatives for children engaged in the worst forms of child labour and adults engaged in forced labour. The strategies to be developed 'will be effective only if they are comprehensive and part of a durable initiative'. The steps to be taken to sustain this initiative include:

• a binding memorandum of cooperation among the signatories, establishing a joint action programme of research, information exchange and action to enforce internationally recognised and mutually agreed standards to eliminate the worst forms of child labour in the industry;

• efforts to determine the most appropriate and practicable independent means of monitoring and public reporting in compliance with these standards; and

• establishment of a joint foundation to oversee and sustain efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labour and forced labour in the sector. The signatories welcome the industry's commitment to provide 'initial and ongoing, primary financial support' for the foundation, which should be established in mid-2002 and focus initially on West Africa.

The IUF general secretary, Ron Oswald, described the common statement a significant step forward: 'Those who have engaged in this collaborative effort have done so recognising that none can effectively contribute to the resolution of this difficult social issue without recognition of the important role to be played by the other signatories. In particular the recognition by the world's chocolate and cocoa industry of the need to work with trade unions in the industry, represented through IUF, will considerably raise the chances that this initiative will succeed.'

Such joint texts by trade union and employers' organisations at global level are rare, though IUF signed a joint statement with employers on eliminating child labour in the tobacco-growing industry in 1999.