On September 30, 2022, the Sustainable Cocoa Platform for Developing Countries, for which the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) serves as the secretariat, released “Sectoral Action for the Elimination of Child Labor The “Sectoral Action for the Elimination of Child Labor” was released on September 30, 2022. The Sustainable Cacao Platform for Developing Countries (the “Platform”) was established in January 2020 with the goal of realizing a sustainable cacao industry. As a “place” for diverse stakeholders to co-create and collaborate to resolve issues faced by the cacao industry, such as farmer poverty, deforestation, and child labor, 48 organizations and 94 individuals, including industry associations, food manufacturers, trading companies, NGOs, and consulting companies, are participating (as of September 30, 2022). Within the platform, companies and NGOs that are particularly interested in solving the problem of child labor have now formulated the “Sectoral Action for the Elimination of Child Labor”.
Amidst growing international concern about business and human rights, the Japanese government released the “Guidelines for Respect for Human Rights in Supply Chains, etc.” on September 13, 2022, to encourage companies to take initiatives to respect human rights. Based on the Guidelines, the Platform’s “Sectoral Action for the Elimination of Child Labor” will be used as practical guidance for companies related to the cocoa industry to identify, prevent, and mitigate risks related to child labor, one of the human rights issues in their supply chains. It is expected to promote concrete efforts by companies to respect human rights in their supply chains. Seventeen organizations (listed below), including chocolate manufacturers, trading companies involved in cocoa bean distribution, and NGOs, have expressed their support and willingness to promote its contents.
As one of the actors promoting this action, JICA, which serves as the Platform’s secretariat, will contribute to the elimination of child labor in the cocoa industry through efforts such as the implementation of a project to eliminate child labor in Ghana, the largest producer of cocoa beans imported by Japan. We will also actively communicate these efforts to the public.
List of organizations that have pledged their support (as of September 30, 2022)
ishiyama yuen godo kaisha
Authorized NPO ACE
OWLS Consulting Group, Inc.
Confitera Corporation
Tachibana Shoten Co.
Deloitte Tohmatsu Consulting LLC
Japan Chocolate and Cocoa Association
Certified NPO Fairtrade Label Japan
Barry Callebaut Japan Co.
Fuji Oil Co.
Meiji Holdings Co.
Morinaga Seika Co.
Yuraku Confectionery Co.
Lotz Corporation
Lotte Corporation
Romero Trade Corporation
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
The Platform is looking for companies and organizations that support the “Sectoral Action for the Elimination of Child Labor” and are willing to work together to eliminate child labor.
For more information on the platform, please refer to the following pages
© Source JICA
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