Resource Center

Global progress to end child labour has stalled for the first time in 20 years and in the last four years alone, the number of child labourers has increased by roughly 10%, leading to an additional 8.4 million children in the labour market. The ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to exacerbate this trend as parents struggle to provide subsistence incomes and more children are forced to work to support their families, rendering prospects to eradicate child labour globally by 2025 relatively bleak, if not impossible. This briefing paper outlines the ways companies impact children’s rights and the actions businesses can take to help eliminate child labour. Deriving insights from the cobalt mining and cocoa industries, it provides key takeways and recommendations for companies that can be adapted as necessary to align with the specific requirements of individual companies.