Many Canadians are still unaware of the involvement of forced child labor in the products they buy, says the non-profit agency World Vision Canada (WVC).
Child labor saw its first increase in two decades in 2021, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 79 million children involved in forced labor by 2022, according to the International Labor Organization.
In early June, the government addressed the issue of forced child labor in supply chains and voiced support for Bill S-211, which would oblige Canadian companies and government agencies to inspect supply chains to protect workers.
“We are finally starting to see some movement,” Catherine Dibon, a youth leader from World Vision Canada, told CTV News Channel on Saturday.
“Proposed by Senator (Julie) Mivil-Decchen, (the bill) deals with the protection of children’s rights and the provision of information to consumers in Canada.
Dibon says while most Canadians can’t do much to stop child labor from the start, many consumers are likely to end their role by avoiding buying from certain companies after legislation forces them to be transparent to their workers. .
Nearly 160,000 Canadians have signed the World Vision Canada petition, which calls on the government to instruct businesses to prevent human rights abuses during their operations and to report publicly on their progress.
In 2020, the Canadian government banned the import of goods produced by forced labor under the customs tariff.
The new law is expected to require Canadian companies and federal agencies to report annually on measures taken to prevent and reduce the risk that forced labor or child labor is used by them or in their supply chains.
“We are encouraged by the recent progress of the Government of Canada to move forward key legislation to help address this issue,” said Michael Mesinger, President and CEO of World Vision Canada.
“With the increase in child labor for the first time in 20 years due to the global pandemic and other factors, the problem of child labor in Canada will continue to grow without bold action to address it. Canadians need to be able to make fully informed purchasing decisions. “
With files from Canadian Press
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