Do Cobalt Mines In The Congo Use Child Labor?

Despite the Commission’s zero‑tolerance approach to child labor in trade agreements, it is estimated,, according to reports by UN agencies, that in the southern Katanga province, more than 40 000 children are working in hazardous conditions in cobalt mines, with inadequate safety equipment and for very little money[2].

Does Congo use child labor?

Children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in the forced mining of gold, tin ore (cassiterite), tantalum ore (coltan), and tungsten ore (wolframite), and are used in armed conflict, sometimes as a result of forcible recruitment or abduction by non-

How does cobalt mining affect children?

Chronic exposure to dust containing cobalt can result in a potentially fatal lung disease called “hard metal lung disease”. In addition, inhalation of mineral particles can also cause “respiratory sensitization, asthma, shortness of breath, and decreased pulmonary function.

Is child labour legal in DRC?

In Congo, child labor is prohibited by national law, with the minimum age set at 16. There are substantial laws and policies designed to protect children from exploitation.

Is cobalt mined ethically?

Cobalt mining in the DRC is rife with human rights abuses, such as the use of child labor. According to Amnesty International, an estimated 40,000 children are employed in artisanal mining in the DRC. A lack of proper safety precautions is also common practice and accidents frequently occur.

Which country is highest in child labour?

Prevalence of child labour
Sub-Saharan Africa has the largest proportion of child labourers (26 per cent of children aged 5 to 17 years). This is in stark comparison to Latin America and the Caribbean, where 7 per cent of children in this age group are performing potentially harmful work.

Where is child labour the most?

sub-Saharan Africa
Where does most child labor occur? Of an estimated 215 child laborers around the globe: approximately 114 million (53%) are in Asia and the Pacific; 14 million (7%) live in Latin America; and 65 million (30%) live in sub-Saharan Africa.

Why does the DRC use child Labour?

Extreme poverty means that working in the mines is a necessity for some Congolese families, who are left with no choice but to send their children to work in mines without oversight. Other children work there in order to be able to buy food and clothes or simply to pay for school.

Who is profiting from cobalt mining?

China Molybdenum (HKEX:3993)
Partially owned by the Chinese government, China Molybdenum produced an estimated 14,800 MT of cobalt in 2021. In the DRC, the cobalt-mining company owns 80 percent of the Tenke Fungurume mine, which has one of the world’s largest concentrations of cobalt.

Is child Labour illegal?

Child labour is not always illegal
In many countries children working under the age of 18 is illegal – but not in all. Families and employers often hide what they are doing because they worry they will be taken to court or sent to prison for having child labourers.

Is Tesla using child labor?

“Tesla does not, and will not, tolerate the use of slave or child labor in the manufacturing of its products,” says its conflict-minerals policy.

What is the youngest age for child labour?

14 years old
As a general rule, the FLSA sets 14 years old as the minimum age for employment, and limits the number of hours worked by minors under the age of 16.

What country bans child labor first?

Prussia
In 1839 Prussia was the first country to pass laws restricting child labor in factories and setting the number of hours a child could work. Though the reasons behind why these laws were passed were to expand working conditions for adults, it did lead to laws being passed across Europe.

Why is cobalt unethical?

Low labor costs, loose regulations, and poor governance in the DRC allow for the flourishing of artisanal mining and cheap sources of cobalt. However, cobalt from the DRC is tainted by ethical and humanitarian issues, including: Child labor. Corruption.

How dirty is cobalt mining?

Waste generated from mining cobalt and other metals can pollute water, air and soil, leading to decreased crop yields, contaminated food and water, and respiratory and reproductive health issues. Miners reported that working conditions were unsafe, unfair and stressful.

Is cobalt mining toxic?

Particles emitted during cobalt mining consists radioactive emissions, cancer-causing particles, and particles which may cause vision problems, vomiting and nausea, heart problems, and Thyroid damage.

What countries use child slavery?

From a global perspective over 81% world’s population live in countries with a high or extreme risk of child labour.
The 10 worst performing countries in the Child Labour Index are:

• Somalia.
• North Korea.
• Eritrea.
• South Sudan.
• Guinea-Bissau.
• Venezuela.
• Chad.
• Syria.

Where in Africa is the most child labour?

Sub-Saharan Africa
The problem is severe in Sub-Saharan Africa where more than 40% of all children aged 5–14 labour for survival, or about 48 million children.

Who invented child labour?

The movement to regulate child labour began in Great Britain at the close of the 18th century, when the rapid development of large-scale manufacturing made possible the exploitation of young children in mining and industrial work.

Who ended child labor?

The tireless efforts of reformers, social workers and unions seemed to pay off in 1916 – at the height of the progressive movement – when President Woodrow Wilson passed the Keating-Owen Act banning articles produced by child labor from being sold in interstate commerce.

What is the largest cause of child labour?

Child labor persists even though laws and standards to eliminate it exist. Current causes of global child labor are similar to its causes in the U.S. 100 years ago, including poverty, limited access to education, repression of workers’ rights, and limited prohibitions on child labor.