Side Event 4 - Addressing Child Labour in Cobalt Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining: The Role of Companies and Investors

This session explores the key severe child labour risks in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) in global supply chains, with a focus on cobalt ASM in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We highlight how downstream companies and investors are linked to upstream child labour risks in the mining and extractives industry and explore steps companies and investors can take to monitor, address and remediate child labour risks.

In particular, the session will:

• Shed light on the current situation of children in cobalt ASM communities and opportunities for companies and investors to improve child rights in the extractives sector
• Highlight which actions are necessary to accelerate action to address the root causes of child labour in cobalt ASM communities, from prevention to remediation 
• Present case studies from financial institutions working to address child labour and child rights risks in the extractives industry (with a specific focus on cobalt)