On Your Behalf - April 2008 Report

Human Trafficking and Child Labor:
A Continuing Scandal

Slavery still persists in some parts of the globe in the form of human trafficking. Human trafficking is defined by the United Nations as “the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring or receipt of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, of abduction, of fraud, of deception, of the abuse of power or of a position of vulnerability or of the giving or receiving of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another persons, for the purpose of exploitation.” In 1948, the United Nations condemned human trafficking and called for its eradication.

Unfortunately, children are especially susceptible to human trafficking. Statistics vary, but the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that as many as 1.2 million children worldwide are trafficked each year. Many of these children are subjected to sexual abuse and forced, unpaid labor. Child labor remains a particularly serious problem in certain parts of the world. In West Africa alone, the Institute of Tropical Agriculture reported that in 2002, 284,000 children were involved in clearing fields, while 153,000 were involved in the application of dangerous pesticides, primarily on cocoa farms. Fauna and Flora International reports that children ages 12 to 18 are forced to mine columbite-tantalite under military supervision in Central Africa. Cocoa and the mineral columbite-tantalite have fueled war in Central and West Africa for several years.

In developing countries, the deterioration of economic conditions remains a key factor in modern-day child trafficking and slavery. Children are bought or kidnapped from poorer countries and traded or sold as unpaid domestic servants in other countries. In addition, the high mortality rates from diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria contribute to the growing number of homeless children and their vulnerability to human trafficking.

The Role of the United Nations

The United Nations plays a prominent role in the effort to eradicate child labor. In 1989, it adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which gave rise in 1992 to the International Labor Organization’s (ILO) International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour. In 1998, the ILO adopted the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, which led to the 1999 Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labor.

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, adopted in 2000, included the important Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children. More than 100 nations have signed this important protocol.

Finally, in March of 2007, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime launched the Global Initiative to Fight Human Trafficking.

The United Methodist Church Speaks on Child Labor

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, soundly condemned slavery as incompatible with Christ’s teachings, and the Church today considers slavery an infamous evil that cannot be tolerated. (¶164A, The Book of Discipline 2004.) Methodism also has a long history of concern for children. Methodism’s first social creed, adopted in 1908, specifically called for the eradication of child labor. Resolution #64, Eradicating Abusive Child Labor, first adopted in 1996 and re-affirmed in 2000, calls upon all units of the Church “to work to eradicate the evils of child labor.” Resolution 237, Rights of Workers, directs the Church and its agencies to “support the conventions of the International Labor Organization that advance safety in the workplace; freedom from bonded or forced labor; the elimination of discrimination in respect to employment and occupation; effective abolition of child labor.” In addition, the Social Principles remind us that “children have the right to food, shelter, clothing, health care, and emotional well-being…children must be protected from economic, physical, emotional, and sexual exploitation and abuse.” (¶162C, The Book of Discipline 2004.)

The General Board Advocates for the Elimination of Child Labor

Like all United Methodist organizations, the General Board is deeply concerned with issues of human trafficking and child labor and has used the traditional tools of shareholder advocacy to bring these issues into clearer focus.

In 2006, following reports of lawsuits against Nestle and Archer-Daniels-Midland, the General Board began making inquiries with these companies concerning their policies and practices relating to child labor on cocoa plantations in West Africa, specifically Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Both companies reported that they support the World Cocoa Foundation’s efforts to create a process that certifies cocoa has not been harvested by children. Both companies also support the Foundation’s efforts to encourage responsible cocoa-growing practices around the world.

The General Board recently sent letters to more than 85 companies concerning the sourcing of cotton grown in Uzbekistan, the world’s second-largest exporter of cotton and a country well-known for its dependence on child labor. The General Board is hoping these letters will begin the process of dialogue and engagement on this important topic. Similar letters have been sent to Nokia, Intel and Ericsson. These companies use the mineral columbite-tantalite in the manufacture of capacitors. Children are reportedly used to mine columbite-tantalite in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Progress Is Being Made

Despite continuing reports of abusive child labor, statistics show that the number of children used as laborers has decreased over the past several years, so much so that the ILO titled its 2006 report on child labor The end of child labour: Within reach. Assuming there is continued cooperation among the many stakeholders in the fight against child labor, the ILO predicts that child labor can be eradicated within the next 10 years. However, as the report points out, “the elimination of child labor cannot be achieved in isolation…. Employers’ and workers’ organizations play a decisive role.”

The General Board will continue to use its financial resources and the traditional tools of shareholder advocacy to work with employers to eliminate child labor.