Flash mob to spring surprise demonstration at secret meeting of chocolate industry
Photo/press call – 1pm, Monday 19 September
STOP THE TRAFFIK has organised a flash mob to surprise a secret meeting of the chocolate industry,
which is meeting on the 10th anniversary of its reneged promise to end child trafficking on cocoa farms.
When?
Monday 19th September at 13.00 hours
Where?
Bloomsbury Square Gardens, London WC1. Nearest tube: Holborn (Piccadilly line)
Why?
Because the chocolate industry has reneged on its promise of 2001 to stop using trafficked children on
cocoa farms.
On 19th September it's 10 years to the day since the chocolate industry promised to stop trafficking children, average
age 10, onto cocoa farms in order for us to get our chocolate bars.
10 years on and they have failed. Children are still being trafficked for use on cocoa farms.
STOP THE TRAFFIK has been leading the fight for change and it is marking the 10th anniversary of this promise, which
coincides with an international meeting of the chocolate industry in London on 20th September.
STOP THE TRAFFIK knows where the delegates are meeting in London and will take a flash mob to the location and leave
an unexpected gift at their hotel lobby to wish them a happy 10th birthday in 'celebration' of this reneged promise.
We are organising a 5 minute flash mob on 19th September at 1.15pm at the place they are planning to meet.
10 years on there are 10 year boys celebrating their 10th birthday on a farm far from home, with a machete in their
hands being forced to work to pick cocoa beans and have never seen the chocolate bar we buy.
The flash mob will be address at the secret location by Steve Chalke, United Nations Advisor for Community Action
against People Trafficking and founder of STOP THE TRAFFIK.
Press contact: Bex Keer 07734 777 890
Notes to editors:
Cocoa sector has failed to eliminate Child Trafficking
None of the main objectives reached on 10th anniversary of commitment
Summary
In 2001, the global chocolate industry made a commitment to end the Worst Forms of Child Labor (WFCL) and Forced
Adult Labor (FAL). This commitment has proved to be an empty promise: the cocoa sector has not been able to achieve
any of the six goals they set themselves. Monday September 19th marks the tenth anniversary of this commitment,
called the Harkin Engel Protocol. On this day, the 10 Campaign will be launched globally. The 10 Campaign is a
joint initiative by the leading civil society organisations on cocoa throughout the world. The 10 Campaign calls
on governments to take their responsibility, and, after 10 years of failed voluntary self-regulation, to implement
laws to ensure that industry will finally deliver on the commitments they have made.
Ten years ago
Ten years ago the global chocolate industry, through its various trade associations, signed the Harkin-Engel Protocol, a
6-point roadmap that was to enable the elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) in the cocoa sector of Côte
d'Ivoire and Ghana. However, according to Tulane University, mandated by the US government to report on progress on the
Protocol from 2006 to 2011, none of the Protocol's six articles calling for action were fully implemented, and the required
industry-wide reform in the cocoa sector has not taken place. Tulane also documented the systemic nature of the problem:
an estimated 1.8 million children are working, some in hazardous labor conditions, in the cocoa sector of Côte d'Ivoire
and Ghana.
10 Campaign
Major civil society organisations and trade unions working throughout the world on ethical cocoa (including STOP THE
TRAFFIK, International Labor Rights Forum, World Vision Australia and many others) have joined the campaign to speak
with one voice on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Protocol. Together they call on national and international
legislative bodies to implement key legislation to ensure that companies get the task done.
Auditing, disclosure, oversight
Core asks are to implement legislation that ensure that companies have their supply chains audited by an independent
3rd party, to oblige companies to publically disclose what their efforts are to eradicate the abuses, and the
implementation of an independent oversight body that reports on progress.
$1.000.000.000.000
From 2001 to 2011, the global revenue from cocoa products was an estimated USD 1 trillion. However, in order for the
elimination of these practices to actually come to pass, clear and strong legislation is needed as the status quo is
not acceptable: why should children toil, at the expense of their health, education and sometimes their lives, for an
industry so immensely profitable?
10 years of broken promises
Since the industry has not taken responsibility for carrying out the necessary reform from within, it is now necessary
for governments to regulate the activities of companies and require due diligence in their supply chain. "The chocolate
industry has not come near meeting its commitments to end the abuse of children and adults in the production of cocoa
in West Africa", said Antonie Fountain, spokesperson for the 10 Campaign. "That is why the 10 Campaign calls on
governments today, to ensure that companies stick to their commitment to end the abuse of children in West Africa's
cocoa sector."
For more information, please contact
Antonie Fountain, coordinator 10 Campaign.
e. antonie@10campaign.com, t. +31624276517 w. www.10campaign.com
Or contact national civil societies:
Netherlands
STOP THE TRAFFIK: Antonie Fountain, antonie@stopthetraffik.nl, +31624276517
FNV Bondgenoten: Julie Schouten, j.e.schouten@bg.fnv.nl, +31651256731
Belgium
STOP THE TRAFFIK Belgium: Phil Lane, phil.lane@stopthetraffik.org, +32475927507
Germany
Südwind Institut, Friedel Huetz-Adams, huetz-adams@suedwind-institut.de, +492241259735
Switzerland
Berne Declaration, Flurina Doppler, flurina.doppler@evb.ch, +41442777009
United Kingdom
STOP THE TRAFFIK, Rutch Dearnley, ruth.dearnley@stopthetraffik.org, + 442079214200
Australia
STOP THE TRAFFIK, Mark Zirnsak, mark.zirnsak@victas.uca.org.au, +61409166915
World Vision Australia, Susan Mizrahi, susan.mizrahi@worldvision.com.au, +61392872343
United States
International Labor Rights Forum, Tim Newman, tim.newman@ilrf.org, +12023474100
Christopher Bayer (former Principal Consultant for Tulane University), cbayer@tulane.edu +001 504 428 9062
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