June 26, 2020 Press Release Child Cobalt Miners File Amended Complaint Against Apple, Alphabet, Dell, Microsoft and Tesla For Aiding and Abetting Extreme Abuse of Children Mining Blood Cobalt in DRC Contact: Terry Collingsworth, Executive Director tc@iradvocates.org 1-202-543-5811 @tpcollingsworth The shocking state of child labourers mining for cobalt in Africa has been thrust into the global spotlight after tech giants Apple, Google, Microsoft, Tesla and Dell were sued this week for their . .usa-footer .container {max-width:1440px!important;} Enriched with anecdotes from ethnography and the daily media, this revised edition examines family structure, reproduction, profiles of children's caretakers, their treatment at different ages, their play, work, schooling, and transition to ... But for the Chinese middlemen who buy the cobalt, there were no such constraints; they have free access. Found insideIt covers close to 70% of the forestlands of Africa. Of the 530 million hectares in the Congo Basin, 300 million are composed of forests: 99% of these are primary or naturally regenerated forests, as opposed to plantations. Found insideThe best country-by-country assessment of human rights. The human rights records of more than ninety countries and territories are put into perspective in Human Rights Watch's signature yearly report. Children mining cobalt for batteries in Congo... See the "hell" your phone battery came from. Research conducted by the department's Bureau of . This book by two leading scholars offers the first systematic analysis of the relationship between globalization and the environment from the early Modern period to the present. The department's most recent global report on child labor concludes that "in 2019, the DRC . The case, which is a class complaint for injunctive relief and damages has been brought by the US based International Rights Advocates (IRA) on . From as early as four, they can pick it out of a pile. Last year, more than one million electric vehicles were sold. Congo dominates the global cobalt production, in 2020, making up almost 70% of total production (Roskill, 2021). JUNIOR KANNAH/AFP via Getty Images June 18, 2020, 11:01 AM The .gov means it’s official. . In the mines, women and children help with the so-called artisanal mining, but don't be fooled -- it is no quaint cottage industry. Demand for Congo's cobalt is on the rise. In 2016, an Amnesty International report accused Congo Dongfang Mining, a subsidiary of Chinese mining giant Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Ltd, of buying ore produced on sites that use child labour. child labor in the industrial revolution in england [link to the home page of this site] this post is an examination of the issue that the move to renewable energy in the global north comes at the cost of mining for cobalt in the global south at great harm to the environment, health, and social welfare of the people in the drc and ghana. These findings are intended to inform future dialogue on human rights and child labour 18:13 ET, Feb 19 2021. Focusing on the pervasive, deeply entrenched, and wholly unjust system of bonded labor, Kara delves into this ancient and ever-evolving mode of slavery, which ensnares roughly six out of every ten slaves in the world. Australia. Previous work on this topic includes a 2018 PRI report, Drilling down into the cobalt supply chain: how investors can promote responsible sourcing practices, that highlights the child labour and human rights risks associated with cobalt sourcing, outlines investor expectations and recommendations and provides a set of questions that investors can use in their engagement dialogue with companies. Microsoft told us it does not tolerate child labor and that it is working with NGOs to eliminate it. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. Concern about how cobalt is mined "comes to the fore every now and again," said . Hence, it does not surprise then that the mining sector is vital for Kinshasa's economy: the extraction and processing of minerals in the province of Katanga, endowed with the largest mineral riches in the DRC, contribute more than . .manual-search-block #edit-actions--2 {order:2;} Found inside – Page 1Oil, Gas, and Mining: A Sourcebook for Understanding the Extractive Industries provides developing countries with a technical understanding and practical options around oil, gas, and mining sector development issues. 20% of the DRC's cobalt comes from the southern region of the country, where UNICEF estimates around 40,000 children work in mines. Jeremy Clarkson. Found inside – Page 218Soguel D. Glencore named in Congo child labour case targeting Big Tech. ... Apple and Google named in US lawsuit over Congolese child cobalt mining deaths. An urgent demand for a 'People's Green New Deal', foregrounding global agricultural transformation and climate justice for the Global South The plaintiffs accuse these companies of deliberately purchasing cobalt that was produced by child labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) under horrific working conditions. Found insideThe best country-by-country assessment of human rights. The human rights records of more than ninety countries and territories are put into perspective in Human Rights Watch's signature yearly report. Apple, Google (through its parent company Alphabet, Inc), Dell, Microsoft and Tesla have been named as defendants in what could be a landmark case pertaining to the use of child labour in the mining of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).. . However, US and European legislation contains significant loopholes. It was clear that security officials in charge there -- only some of them in uniforms -- have something to hide. Reveals how Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Republic of Congo, was murdered in January, 1961, directly by the Belgian government and Congolese rebels, but with the indirect help of the United States and United Nations. Introduction : beyond social media -- Emergent and disruptive tools for the public good -- Democratizing surveillance -- Hacking space -- The camera's politics -- Resisting drones/resistance drones -- Some new ideas about protest tech -- ... Source of supply can 100% be deemed to not include child labor that has been an issue with Congo-sourced cobalt due to the large amount of artisanal mining that makes its way into the supply chain . This book provides an overview of the current state of knowledge on hazardous child labor, relating the negative and the positive, the problems, and the solutions. Samsung said it's mapping its supply chain, and Tesla explained it performs audits, and has very little cobalt in its batteries. In the cobalt mines in Congo, child labour unfortunately remains a common problem. We asked a wide range of companies whether child-mined cobalt is being used in their products. .manual-search ul.usa-list li {max-width:100%;} This pathbreaking book is the first close examination of the inner workings of the Bank, the foundations of its achievements, its propensity for intensifying the problems it intends to cure, and its remarkable ability to tame criticism and ... The charity described the support from these multinational companies as a "drop in the ocean," as countless companies are buying the child mined cobalt. Huayou has said it has cut child labour out of its supply chain and is working to help formalise small-scale mining in the Congo through efforts to improve safety and better trace cobalt. 1. Mining accounts for 32% of Congo's national output and the economy has been hard hit by the pandemic, which has . As cobalt demand booms, companies must do more to protect Congolese miners. Democratic Republic of Congo - 100,000 tonnes. The Democratic Republic of Congo is expected to start buying cobalt from artisanal miners within eight weeks as it . among firms accused of aiding child labor in Congo Follow . The remainder is produced by industrial mines . Introduction. around 7,000 tonnes in 2020," the review . Child labor has been used in cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). #block-googletagmanagerheader .field { padding-bottom:0 !important; } Cobalt is widely used in the production of goods, including batteries for smartphones, computers, and electric vehicles, for which demand is growing. The Cobalt project works to address child labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) cobalt supply chain, with a focus on artisanal and small-scale mining. Tuesday on "CBS This Morning" we will show you more of the story of Ziki, the young boy we found at the mines, and some of the efforts being taken to rescue the children. said Monday that it has joined the Fair Cobalt Alliance. The EU imports cobalt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo on a large scale. Kevin Bales undertakes a discussion of the causes of enslavement & the socio-economic factors that sustain slavery in the 21st century. Cobalt Chronicles is a story about a delightful child who, at a tender age, faces the harsh realities of survival in the Congo. A series of reports has shown how cobalt mining in the DR Congo is plagued by problems like human rights abuses, unsafe mining, and several other risks have been reported in the DRC cobalt mining industry. . While mining is on the DRC’s list of hazardous activities for which children’s work is forbidden, the majority of cobalt mining in the DRC is done informally, where monitoring and enforcement are poor. Officials in DRC denied there was child labor, but for the CBS News crew, it was plain to see. An international advocacy group has accused Apple, Google, Microsoft, Dell and Tesla of "knowingly benefiting from" the use of young children to mine cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He lives with his grandmother, and provides their primary income from the cobalt mines. An agency within the U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave NW Children are seen washing cobalt in a lake at a mine in the southern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two-thirds of the world's cobalt is found in the DRC, which is one of the world's poorest and least developed countries. RCS Global Group and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have announced a technical cooperation to develop, pilot sites, and roll-out internationally, a toolkit to prevent and counteract child labor by mitigating wider child rights infringements in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) communities in the DRC. A report by Amnesty International first revealed that cobalt mined by children was ending up in products from several companies, including Apple, Microsoft, Tesla and Samsung. Cobalt is a chemical element used to make rechargeable batteries. Cobalt mining in Congo. Found insideThe World Bank Group’s Women, Business and the Law examines laws and regulations affecting women’s prospects as entrepreneurs and employees across 190 economies. "My parents are dead," he explained when asked why he wasn't at school. Yup, the purr of the big cat will be replaced by the eerie sound of silence. So is the scrutiny of mining practices. © 2018 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "Criminal networks have been set up to circumvent the rules. The Cobalt project supports efforts to enhance implementation and enforcement of laws, policies, and action plans that address child labor and working conditions in artisanal and small-scale mining in the DRC’s cobalt supply chain. As CBS News correspondent Debora Patta reports, it's been two years since that damning Amnesty report was published, but the DRC is a country embattled in conflict, and it is difficult and sometimes dangerous to report from there. /*-->*/. What is the concrete result of this in relation to child labour in the Congolese mines? The U.S. Department of Labor has documented the nature and scope of the cobalt problem in the DRC. "A CBS News investigation has found child labor being used in the dangerous mining of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The report highlights child labor and other human rights violations in . Baar, Switzerland17 December 2019. Since 2016, Amnesty International has denounced cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo for human rights violations and the use of child labor. The macro-environment in Congo, generally . 1-866-4-USA-DOL, Combatting Child Labor in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Cobalt Industry (COTECCO), Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT), Combating Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking, Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, List of Goods Produced By Child Labor or Forced Labor, List of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor. DRC: Tech giants seek to dismiss child labor lawsuit, arguing they have no control over conditions in mining companies Date: 2 Sep 2020 Content Type: Article; Human rights activist 'forced to flee DRC' over child cobalt mining lawsuit Date: 10 Mar 2020 Content Type: Article Question for written answer E-001002/2020. The insatiable demand for cobalt, driven by desire for cheap handheld technology, has tripled in the past five years and is expected to double again by the end of 2020. Glencore takes note of the lawsuit filed in a US court by IRAdvocates on 15 December 2019 regarding child labour in the artisanal mining of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). According to studies by the Catholic University of Louvain and the University of Lubumbashi, children from mining districts have ten times more cobalt in their urine than other children, which greatly increases their risk of developing cancer. "Because Tesla recognizes the higher risks of human rights issues within cobalt supply chains, particularly for child labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we have made a significant . It supports key stakeholders to develop and implement strategies to reduce child labor and improve working conditions in artisanal and small-scale mines as well as in the broader cobalt supply chain. Whenever a camera or security person or policeman appears, the children are chased away quickly. They pledged to end child mining by 2025 in their new strategy on child labour. The southern province of Lualaba is one the Congo's most significant cobalt mining areas. What concrete action against child labour is the Commission planning in the context of the initiative for a safe, circular and sustainable battery value chain announced as part of the Green Deal? More than 60% of the world's supply of cobalt is mined in the copper belt of the south-eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). 59% of cobalt comes from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The appetite for EVs is driving a boom in cobalt production in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where some mines have been found to be dangerous and employ child labor -- a concern for automakers . .dol-alert-status-error .alert-status-container {display:inline;font-size:1.4em;color:#e31c3d;} The Democratic Republic of Congo holds around 70% of the world's reserves of cobalt and is also the largest producer, accounting for over 70% of cobalt mine supply in 2020. Cobalt is an expensive metal used in electric car batteries, costing about $35,000 per ton. Small-scale mining in the DRC involves people of all ages, including children, obligated to work under harsh conditions. How to watch "CBS This Morning" live online, The Republic Rising: Honoring the Empire State Building, The Colorado waitresses who tote food -- and firearms, Eye Opener: FDA to authorize COVID booster, cobalt mined by children was ending up in products. Cobalt mining in the Congo is often done by children — as many as 40,000 — working in brutal and unsafe conditions. The EU imports cobalt from the Democratic Republic of the Congo on a large scale. Due to the high levels of government corruption in the DRC, child labor has become a major problem in these mining operations, with . #views-exposed-form-manual-cloud-search-manual-cloud-search-results .form-actions{display:block;flex:1;} #tfa-entry-form .form-actions {justify-content:flex-start;} #node-agency-pages-layout-builder-form .form-actions {display:block;} #tfa-entry-form input {height:55px;} Of the 255,000 Congolese mining for cobalt, 40,000 are children, some as young as six years. Officials deny there's child labor, but it was plain to see. In August 2017, the DRC government admitted for the first time that children are working in cobalt mines. Cobalt is mainly produced as a by-product at assets that produce copper or nickel. Since 2017, the EU has participated in the Extractives Global Programmatic Support Programme. The latest research by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) estimates 40,000 children are working in DRC mines. Many of the world's largest mining companies have set up operations in the country as they seek to secure supplies of this . Since 2016, Amnesty International has denounced cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo for human rights violations and the use of child labor. #block-googletagmanagerfooter .field { padding-bottom:0 !important; } Sony followed suit, publishing for the first time details of its cobalt supply chain. Cobalt mining in the Congo is often done by children — as many as 40,000 — working in brutal and unsafe conditions. More than 60% of cobalt . 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