Background
In the 20th century, some national and international organizations concerned with exploitation, specifically the exploitation of child workers, recognized a certain number of children's rights. As a result, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted by the United Nations on November 20, 1989 and the ILO established the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) in 1992. As a strategy to promote children's rights, the European Parliament called on the European Commission to ensure that a thorough investigation be conducted into the introduction of a European Union scheme for the labelling of goods imported into the European Union, in order to attest that they had been produced without the use of child labour at any point in the production and supply chain. It therefore implemented, with the help of the World Trade Organization (WTO), a
"child-labour free" label for these products, which complies with World Trade Organization (WTO) international trade rules.
(adapted from the International Labour Organisation (ILO),
Facts on Child Labour, 2006; European Parliament,
Committee on Development, 2005)
The Meaning of the Label
As a social label, the
"child-labour free" label is a way to make companies respect legal requirements such as the prohibition of forced labour, the establishment of a minimum working age and engaging children under this age in school programs.
Various other kinds of social labelling initiatives exist regarding child labour. Some of these claim that, in addition to creating a child labour-free production environment, they provide or fund alternatives for child labourers, such as schools, or promote employment for their parents. Some aim at improving the conditions for children currently working while also trying to prevent others from having to join the workforce. Others ensure that a full set of social standards have been met in the production process.
For example, the Rugmark Foundation has created the Rugmark label and an inspection system that certifies that no children work in its rug production. It also gives funds to UNICEF to help remove children from plants.
Labels and Marketing
"For some companies, the use of a label might enhance their market share by enticing the consumer to purchase their "no child labor" product instead of that of an unlabeled competitor. For NGOs, a labeling program may be a way to create additional disincentives for the use of child labor in certain industries and countries. For the consumer, choosing to purchase a product with a label provides a sense of assurance of not being complicit in exploitative labor practices."
(United States Department of Labor,
Bureau of International Labor Affairs, visited 2009-06-03)
It should be said that the lack of a harmonized system and the proliferation of labels representing different aspects of socially responsible behaviour can confuse consumers. The absence of norms regarding certification companies and their methods adversely affects the reliability of these labels.
(adapted from O'Rourke, D.,
Outsourcing Regulation: Analyzing Nongovernmental Systems of Labor Standards and Monitoring,
The Policy Studies Journal, vol. 31, n. 1, 2003)