In illegal mining, there is a high incidence of human trafficking for forced labour, including a system in which debt bondage is achieved by providing workers with advances or start-up capital. Workers in the mining sector are employed under extremely dangerous conditions, including exposure to toxic substances and severe illnesses, and that women and children tend to be more vulnerable to exploitation.
The challenges of due diligence in, for example, the gold trading process are faced at every point in the supply chain; from ensuring that gold has been extracted not only legally, but also complying with international human rights and labour standards and /or does not fuel armed conflicts, to retail buyers taking the sourcing of their gold into consideration.
While the World Gold Council Conflict-Free Standard is designed to ensure gold producers mine responsibly, it is also very important that the whole supply chain is sustainable and does not contribute to conflict. For instance, the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) – the international trade association that represents the market for gold and silver bullion – has developed Responsible Gold Guidance standards for refiners that lay out due-diligence processes that refiners need to follow, in line with the OECD Guidance on Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected areas.
What are the most promising practices to eradicate human trafficking from the supply chains within the mining industry, including gold and other minerals? How does labour exploitation in the mining industry relate to other forms of human trafficking and illicit trade? What laws specifically address human trafficking related to the mining industry and where can improvements be made to further create public policy? And how can academia assist in research around this critical industry? This webinar will focused on these questions and more in a two-hour discussion.
Watch Kyle Ballard's presentation "Zero, Some, or Zero-Sum: Exploring Trade-Offs in Identifying Human Trafficking Among Migration Flows" below. Kyle is the Senior Coordinator for Reports and Political Affairs in the U.S. Department of State’s Offi...Read More
Men, women and children continue to be subjected to trafficking in human beings, as local, national and international statistics painfully illustrate. Human traffickers continue to act with impunity, as low global conviction rates sadly demonstrate. Yet given the nature of...
In this webinar, the Ethical Toy Program, Save the Children and the Centre for Child Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility (CCR CSR) will explore how the CRBPs are relevant for the toy industry. It will outline the relevant child rights issue...Read More
Hannah Darnton, representing Tech Against Trafficking, is participating in a Congressional Hearing on ‘The Role of Technology in Countering Trafficking in Persons‘: Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2020 – 10:00am Location: Online via videoconferencing Subcommittees: Subcommittee on Research and Technology (116th...