How can you guarantee child labor-free products in your supply chain?

1 Assess your risks

The first step is to identify and assess the potential risks of child labor in your supply chain. You can use tools such as the International Labour Organization's (ILO) Child Labour Risk Identification Tool or the UN Global Compact's Child Labour Platform to help you map your suppliers, products, and countries of origin. You can also consult the U.S. Department of Labor's List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor to see if your products are among those that are commonly associated with child labor.

2 Adopt a policy

The next step is to adopt a clear and comprehensive policy that prohibits child labor and outlines your expectations and responsibilities for your suppliers and business partners. Your policy should be aligned with the ILO's conventions on child labor, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the Children's Rights and Business Principles. You should also communicate your policy to all your stakeholders, including your employees, customers, and investors.

3 Conduct due diligence

The third step is to conduct due diligence on your suppliers and business partners to verify their compliance with your policy and to monitor their performance and impact on child labor. You can use methods such as audits, inspections, surveys, interviews, or third-party verification to collect and analyze information on your suppliers' practices, policies, and records. You should also establish a grievance mechanism that allows workers, communities, and other stakeholders to report any violations or concerns.

4 Implement corrective actions

The fourth step is to implement corrective actions if you find any evidence or allegations of child labor in your supply chain. You should work with your suppliers and business partners to develop and execute a remediation plan that addresses the root causes and impacts of child labor. You should also provide support and assistance to the affected children and their families, such as access to education, health care, or alternative livelihoods.

6 Report and improve

The sixth step is to report and improve your efforts and results on preventing and addressing child labor in your supply chain. You can use frameworks such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the UN Global Compact's Communication on Progress (COP), or the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to disclose your policies, actions, outcomes, and challenges. You should also seek feedback and input from your stakeholders, evaluate your performance, and identify areas for improvement.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?