The invisible hand

In addition to this first charter of broad human rights, the United Nations has introduced other charters to deal specifically with child labour. The Worst Forms of Child Labour (Convention 182) was introduced in 1999 to outlaw the “predefined worst forms” of child labour. The Convention defines the worst forms of child labour as slavery, bonded labour, prostitution, pornography, forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, use of children in drug trafficking and other illicit activities, and all other work harmful or hazardous to the health, safety or morals of girls and boys under the age of 18.

In addition to international law, each country has their own national legislation regarding employment relations which is compiled by the ILO for research purposes. However it must be understood that this legislation does not operate in a vacuum. Other policy instruments put in place by the World Trade Organization, such as Free Trade Zones, allow Multinational Corporations to exploit the vulnerability of poor countries who offer deniability and shield them from exposure for the practices of their subcontractors.

In the words of Hugh Cunningham (Past and Present, 1999):

Fifty years ago it might have been assumed that, just as child labor had declined in the developed world in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, so it would also, in a trickle-down fashion, in the rest of the world. Its failure to do that, and its re-emergence in the developed world, raise questions about its role in any economy, whether national or global.

Tolstoy reputedly said that “Money is a new form of slavery, and distinguishable from the old simply by the fact that it is impersonal - that there is no human relation between master and slave”. While the international human rights community does its best to increase oversight of industry, International Human Rights Day 2008 is an opportunity for we as consumers to awaken our compassion toward the invisible hands at the other end of the supply chain and ask what can we do to set them free?

Ethical Shopping

The Fair Trade Labelling Australia & New Zealand Organisation administers a product labelling system based on auditing of the manufacturing process to ensure fair price and environmental protections for the products they certify.

Rugmark administers a labelling system for handwoven rugs which ensures the manufacturing process is free of child labour.

Ethical Investment

The Australian Stock Exchange hosts an advice page on ethical investment which states that “Under Australian Corporations Law, investment managers are required to show in their Product Disclosure Statements “the extent to which labour standards or environmental, social or ethical considerations are taken into account in the selection, retention or realisation of the investment”.

Ethics in Education

Support The Oaktree Foundation project which, among other projects, helps to end child slavery by building schools in India. Oaktree Foundation visits and works with schools empowering students to make a difference in the world.