On July 19, Verité and the International Cocoa Initiative kicked off a forced labor indicators training for human rights advisors of the National Council of Human Rights (Conseil Nacional des Droits de l’Homme— CNDH), an independent body that is tasked with ensuring the Côte d’Ivoire government’s adherence to all international treaties and cooperation agreements that the government has signed.
As organizations working to address human trafficking and labor exploitation, we are appalled by the horrific conditions children experienced after fleeing to the United States for refuge. This series in the New York Times demonstrates our government’s inability, unwillingness, or outright refusal to protect minors from forced labor.
A widely-read New York Times article on child labor by unaccompanied child migrants, published in February 2023, detailed the way that young people fleeing economic and political crises in Central America have collided with the tight US labor market and inadequate US labor law enforcement to create a “perfect storm” for child exploitation in the United States.
To announce the formal launch of the Responsible Sourcing Tool (RST) Facilities Services toolkit, Verité and the US Department of State – JTIP hosted a public webinar in January 2023. In attendance were more than 250 participants from over 30 countries, representing a wide variety of business sectors, government agencies, social auditing firms, NGOs, and industry associations.
In February 2023, Verité’s Supply Chain Tracing and Engagement Methodologies (STREAMS) project hosted a side-session event at the OECD Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and Footwear Sector on “Traceability for Supply Chain Due Diligence and Sustainability in the Garment Sector.” The session showcased pilots by STREAMS partners Better Cotton and the Responsible Sourcing Network.
We train executives and buyers at companies committed to advancing respect for human rights in their operations and supply chains.