Schulze calls for EU supply chain law against child labor

By ibadmin  | Date: June 10, 2022

Released on 11.06.160

• A 11-year-old boy works in a mine in Mexico. Photo: Eduardo Verdugo/AP/dpa

Have you heard?

You can now also have your messages read out to you. Simply click the play icon on any article or add the post to your personal playlist via the plus icon and listen to it later.

79Listen to article:

Smartphones, computers, cosmetics: These are just a few products that often involve child labour. Development Minister Schulze sees the EU as responsible.

Berlin.

German Development Minister Svenja Schulze is pushing for an EU supply chain law to prevent child labor worldwide.

"Our consumption must no longer contribute to the exploitation of children in poorer countries," said the SPD politician on Saturday on the occasion of the International Day Against Child Labor on Sunday. The German supply chain law is an important step against child labor, the next must be a "strong EU supply chain law". "As the second largest economic area in the world, we in Europe bear responsibility for what our consumption causes in other parts of the world," emphasized the minister.

More than 160 Millions of children have to work, that is about every tenth child worldwide, Schulze made clear. Around 79 millions work under exploitative conditions, for example on plantations, in mines, in industry or are victims of commercial sexual exploitation. The SPD politician pointed out that the number of children affected by exploitation had risen again for the first time in recent years. The driving factor is the increasing extreme poverty in many countries. This is exacerbated by global crises such as the corona pandemic, climate change, armed conflicts, food insecurity and famine. (dpa)