A Divided Floor: Competing Draft Resolutions (DR) to Define the Future of Child Labor Reform
A Divided Floor: Competing Draft Resolutions (DR) to Define the Future of Child Labor Reform
Trần Nhân Hòa, Hoàng Phương Uyên
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Photograph by Benjamin Lowy
The delegate of the USA from Bloc 6.0 has argued that we should eliminate child labor in the cocoa industry in Africa through sustainable international cooperation by reaffirming the obligations and principles contained and establishing a voluntary multi-stakeholder cooperation platform. The DR from Bloc “Blast” has discussed about rooting out child labour from the cocoa industry in Africa and suggested various methods to solve issues.
The debate over eliminating child labor in the global cocoa industry has officially crystallized into a battle between two blocs. Each offers a fundamentally different vision for sustainable international cooperation. As delegates were about to vote, the committee was divided into 2 viewpoints: Bloc 6.0 demanding efficiency, feasibility of multi-stakeholders and creating collaboration through nations and Bloc Blast advocating for the other financial support, education access, raising awareness on community mobilization.
The DR of Bloc 6.0 led by the USA explained and gave solutions to eliminate child labor in the cocoa industry through sustainable international cooperation. At first, they claim that we should reaffirm the obligations and principles contained in the Convention on the Rights of Children, recognizing every child’s right to education, protection from economic exploitation, protection against trafficking. Moreover, they also recommend government should establish a voluntary multi-stakeholder cooperation platform, operating in accordance with the principles of ILO Convention, to strengthen international cooperation in eliminating child labour in the cocoa industry by bringing together producer countries to identify implementation priorities, share local expertise to address the root causes of child labor.
The DR of Bloc Blast suggested the measures of rooting out child labour from the cocoa industry in Africa. To begin with, the bloc calls upon the creation and reinforcement of accessible education in impoverished cocoa-producing countries through encouraging philanthropic entities, including but not limited to nations, organizations, or individuals, to donate to countries that have the child labour problem. In addition, Bloc Blast looks forward to raising the awareness of local people on the atrocity of child labor and why it should be outright eliminated through utilizing broadcasting mediums such as television, community meetings to educate families about the danger of child labour.
The resolution of Bloc 6.0 gains both agreement and disagreement. The delegate of Cote D’Ivoire sharply disputed for no good will be included in the resolution. He struck it due to the fact that it just maximizes the demand of big corporations and capitalized countries. On the other hand, the majority believed this resolution can address problems, increase cooperation, decrease poverty, meet people, consumers, farmers' demands and raise awareness. In an interview with Press Corps, the delegate of Kingdom of Cambodia suggested adding amendment in part 5 - agricultural productivity, a sub-clause explaining how to meet farmers’ needs, increase productivity, and stop farmers from exploiting children on cacao farms.
Leading the polls though having an “imperfect resolution” - the Bloc Blast stated, they have received several controversial opinions from the other delegates. The delegates of Egypt debunked the resolution of Bloc Blast that it cannot last for a long term because it does not have a legal framework, relying on communal financial support and raising awareness. It even does not have a policy to work through so she supposed that how this resolution could address the problem in the long run. However, all the delegates voted for for the resolution of Bloc Blast and made no amendments.
The debate over eliminating child labor in the global cocoa industry has officially crystallized into a battle between two blocs. Each offers a fundamentally different vision for sustainable international cooperation. As delegates were about to vote, the committee was divided into 2 viewpoints: Bloc 6.0 demanding efficiency, feasibility of multi-stakeholders and creating collaboration through nations and Bloc Blast advocating for the other financial support, education access, raising awareness on community mobilization.
The DR of Bloc 6.0 led by the USA explained and gave solutions to eliminate child labor in the cocoa industry through sustainable international cooperation. At first, they claim that we should reaffirm the obligations and principles contained in the Convention on the Rights of Children, recognizing every child’s right to education, protection from economic exploitation, protection against trafficking. Moreover, they also recommend government should establish a voluntary multi-stakeholder cooperation platform, operating in accordance with the principles of ILO Convention, to strengthen international cooperation in eliminating child labour in the cocoa industry by bringing together producer countries to identify implementation priorities, share local expertise to address the root causes of child labor.
The DR of Bloc Blast suggested the measures of rooting out child labour from the cocoa industry in Africa. To begin with, the bloc calls upon the creation and reinforcement of accessible education in impoverished cocoa-producing countries through encouraging philanthropic entities, including but not limited to nations, organizations, or individuals, to donate to countries that have the child labour problem. In addition, Bloc Blast looks forward to raising the awareness of local people on the atrocity of child labor and why it should be outright eliminated through utilizing broadcasting mediums such as television, community meetings to educate families about the danger of child labour.
The resolution of Bloc 6.0 gains both agreement and disagreement. The delegate of Cote D’Ivoire sharply disputed for no good will be included in the resolution. He struck it due to the fact that it just maximizes the demand of big corporations and capitalized countries. On the other hand, the majority believed this resolution can address problems, increase cooperation, decrease poverty, meet people, consumers, farmers' demands and raise awareness. In an interview with Press Corps, the delegate of Kingdom of Cambodia suggested adding amendment in part 5 - agricultural productivity, a sub-clause explaining how to meet farmers’ needs, increase productivity, and stop farmers from exploiting children on cacao farms.
Leading the polls though having an “imperfect resolution” - the Bloc Blast stated, they have received several controversial opinions from the other delegates. The delegates of Egypt debunked the resolution of Bloc Blast that it cannot last for a long term because it does not have a legal framework, relying on communal financial support and raising awareness. It even does not have a policy to work through so she supposed that how this resolution could address the problem in the long run. However, all the delegates voted for for the resolution of Bloc Blast and made no amendments.
Bloc Blast's DR at its prime
In a dramatic and rare outcome, the committee ultimately refused to choose between the carrot and the stick, passing both draft resolutions into the international framework. While the Bloc 6.0 resolution sailed through with broad consensus and excellent legal framework, the real shockwave came when the Bloc Blast’s highly controversial punitive paper scraped by without any policies or frameworks to cope with the problem.
As the final gavel falls on this ILO session, the real work begins far outside the committee room. Delegates have successfully turned rhetoric into resolution, but the true test of this paperwork will be measured on the ground in Africa. For the millions of children still working the cocoa fields, the promises made today must rapidly become the reality of tomorrow, proving that the international community can finally deliver a harvest free from exploitation.
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