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National and international human rights legislation, such as the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), establishes a corporate due diligence duty for companies. This duty includes identifying, bringing to an end, preventing, mitigating and accounting for negative human rights and child rights impacts in a company’s own operations, their subsidiaries and their supply chains.
Many companies, however, lack robust systems that are needed to remediate the broad range of child labour risks in the global supply chain. These risks include limited awareness of child labour laws among businesses, a lack of decent work opportunities for youth, absence of childcare options resulting in unaccompanied children migrating or joining the workforce, overreliance on labour agents leading to opaque hiring processes, poor visibility into supply chains, and increased risks associated with subcontractors and lower-tier suppliers.
Remediating child labour cases is crucial to protecting children's rights, breaking the cycle of poverty, promoting sustainable development, upholding ethical practices, and strengthening supply chain resilience. It ensures children are not exploited, provides them with access to education and opportunities, contributes to inclusive societies, safeguards business reputation, and fosters resilient supply chains.
The Centre has therefore introduced the Due Diligence Principles for Child Labour Remediation to guide companies on their actions to develop an effective due diligence approach. The principles clarify companies’ responsibilities to create comprehensive child labour policies, establish monitoring capacity in sourcing countries, and prevent or mitigate business practices that increase the risk of child labour.
At the core of The Centre’s Due Diligence Principles for Child Labour Remediation is the recognition that the child's rights should come first, and commercial interests or other considerations should not be prioritised over children's well-being.
When cases of child labour are identified, the principles highlight how remediation should be tailored to the needs of each child and respond to the severity of each child labour case. Remediation must be carried out with the support of independent child rights experts, and victims of child labour should have access to appropriate remedy and support.
The principles serve as a clear and practical framework for companies in all sectors seeking to enhance their approach to child labour remediation.
The Due Diligence Principles for Child Labour Remediation are available to download in English and Spanish.
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