The Netherlands and ILO take joint action against child labour
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Although the number has decreased in recent years, worldwide there are still 152 million children in child labour. They should be in school.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs addresses child labour in supply chains in various ways. For example, in the Fund Against Child Labour works together with companies and organizations in the Netherlands to look at the production chain of these companies. This is difficult because those supply chains are often long and complex, with production taking place in other countries. Cooperation is essential for tracing the root causes of child labour and implementing durable solutions.
In this video Tony's Chocolonely tells how the Fund helps companies to take their responsibility.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also encourages cooperation local level with the community based approach of Coalition Stop Child Labour. In an area, all key players are involved: schools, businesses, parents and the local government. Together they change the norm and ensure that children can go to school. In this way, there are more and more child labour free zones.
In November 2018 a new program is started by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the International Labor Organization (ILO). This program mainly focuses on strengthening capacity at local governments and organizations in production countries. The focus of this program is on national regulations and enforcement is an important addition to our approach via companies and child labour free zones.