Consumers vote China last on human rights

Consumers can do more to make sure we buy toys which are both safe and ethically-made. A good start is to avoid toys which do not disclose the name and contact details of the manufacturer or importer. An even better step is to ask if either the brand owner or importer has an ethical sourcing policy in place.

A number of companies such as Funtastic, Hasbro and Lego responded to the survey and stated that all toys they sell in Australian comply with the industry code of practice ICTI. Some others have their own specific codes of conduct which go some way towards mandating responsible behaviour in areas like working hours, child labour, health and safety, and discrimination.

We need more transparency about what is really happening in China at a number of levels - in terms of human rights, working conditions, and the safety of consumer products. Freedom of speech is the first and necessary enabler of all of these.

The eyes of the world will be on Beijing next month for the Olympics, but what will we not be seeing?