by Swiss chocolate makers have struggled to eradicate child labour in the hazelnut supply chain originating in the Black Sea region of Turkey. Dominique Soguel The world has witnessed the first rise in child labour in 20 years and the coronavirus crisis threatens to push millions more minors into the same fate, the United Nations said on Thursday. Swiss multinationals from food giant Nestlé to mining titans Glencore and Trafigura have struggled to eradicate child labour from their supply chains and the communities where they work. The issue has brought reputational damage on some occasions and progress on others. In a joint report the International Labour Organization and the UN children’s agency UNICEF on Thursday said the number in child labour stood at 160 million
Topics:
Swissinfo considers the following as important: 3) Swiss Markets and News, 3.) Swissinfo Business and Economy, Featured, Latest News, newsletter
This could be interesting, too:
Guillermo Alcala writes USD/CHF slides to test 0.8645 support with US inflation data on tap
Swissinfo writes Swiss central bank posts CHF62.5bn profit
Nachrichten Ticker - www.finanzen.ch writes Trump-Faktor und Marktbedingungen könnten für neuen Bitcoin-Rekord sorgen
Charles Hugh Smith writes Is Social Media Actually “Media,” Or Is It Something Else?
Swiss chocolate makers have struggled to eradicate child labour in the hazelnut supply chain originating in the Black Sea region of Turkey. Dominique Soguel
The world has witnessed the first rise in child labour in 20 years and the coronavirus crisis threatens to push millions more minors into the same fate, the United Nations said on Thursday.
Swiss multinationals from food giant Nestlé to mining titans Glencore and Trafigura have struggled to eradicate child labour from their supply chains and the communities where they work. The issue has brought reputational damage on some occasions and progress on others.
In a joint report the International Labour Organization and the UN children’s agency UNICEF on Thursday said the number in child labour stood at 160 million at the start of 2020. That marks an increase of 8.4 million in four years, with the greatest rise seen in Africa, due to population growth, crises and poverty.
“We are losing ground in the fight against child labour, and the last year has not made that fight any easier,” UNICEF’s executive director Henrietta Fore said in a statement ahead of the World Day Against Child Labour on Saturday.
Covid effect
Children between the ages of five and 11 now account for over half the total global figure. Increased investment in rural development and work in agriculture, a sector that accounts for 70% of child labour, plays a role. The report warns more children are undertaking hazardous work that is likely to harm their health or safety.
“If we look at the impact of Covid-19, this gives us additional reasons for concern,” Claudia Cappa, one of the report’s authors and senior adviser at UNICEF, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
The report reflects research undertaken prior to the pandemic. Pandemic-related economic shocks and the closure of schools mean child labourers may now be working longer hours or under tougher conditions. The UN says urgent action is needed to meet the goal of ending the practice by 2025.
The gains made since 2000 – when 246 million children were in work – are at stake. The report warns that the number could rise to 206 million by the end of 2022 if governments introduce austerity measures or fail to protect the vulnerable.
You Might Also Like
Weekly SNB Sight Deposits and Speculative Positions: Inflation is there, CHF must Rise
2021-06-07
Update June 04 2021: SNB intervening. Sight Deposits have risen by +0.3 bn CHF, this means that the SNB is intervening and buying Euros and Dollars.
Global minimum tax deal bad for Switzerland, say experts
2021-06-07
The decision by the leading industrial nations (G7) to support a global minimum tax of 15% for large corporations is not good news for Switzerland, according to Swiss economists. Certain cantons in particular would come under pressure.
Telecoms company Sunrise to axe 660 jobs
2021-04-28
Switzerland’s second biggest telecoms group, Sunrise UPC, says it will cut 600 jobs by the end of 2022, following UPC’s CHF6.8 billion ($7.4 billion) takeover of Sunrise Communications last year.
Government approves accord with UK to ease trade for companies
2021-04-14
The Swiss government has approved an agreement with Britain on mutual recognition of companies with “AEO” customs security approval, designed to facilitate trade. This agreement is “intended to reduce technical barriers to trade and facilitate trade with the United Kingdom for companies with AEO status”, according to a government press release on Wednesday. The accord has yet to be ratified by Britain.
Foreign firms creating more jobs in Switzerland despite pandemic
2021-04-11
Switzerland has remained an attractive location for foreign firms, creating more jobs last year than in 2019 – despite the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, Swiss public television SRF and RTS have reported.
Private sector joins government to protect ‘Swissness’ abroad
2021-04-01
Major industry associations have joined forces with public agencies to combat free-riders who abuse the “Swiss brand” abroad. The association for Swissness enforcement is intended to foster coordinated action against the wrongful use abroad of Swiss indications of source.
More rare earth metals detected at Swiss wastewater plants
2021-03-12
Rare earth metals like cerium and gadolinium, which are used in industry and hospitals, are increasingly being detected at Swiss wastewater plants, new research shows.
Switzerland and UK to push ahead with financial services deal
2021-01-27
Britain and Switzerland will press on with plans to strike a trade deal for their vast financial services industries, UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday ahead of talks with his Swiss counterpart.
Tags: Featured,Latest news,newsletter