DRC Seeks US Removal of Cobalt from Child and Forced Labour List
DRC Reports 13,587 Children Removed from Cobalt Mining as It Seeks US Delisting
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is seeking to have its cobalt removed from a United States government list of goods associated with child and forced labour, presenting progress under a social support programme aimed at addressing child labour in the country’s artisanal mining sector.
The Fonds National de Promotion et de Service Social (FNPSS), a Congolese public institution responsible for social development programmes, presented the results of its PABEA-Cobalt initiative in Geneva on the sidelines of the 63rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The initiative seeks to remove children and young people from artisanal cobalt mining while providing education, healthcare and alternative livelihood opportunities for their families.
According to the FNPSS, a survey conducted between February and March 2022 identified 16,845 children at mining sites in Haut-Katanga and Lualaba provinces, alongside 10,552 parents.
Since then, 13,587 children have reportedly been removed from mining sites and supported through social reintegration and continued schooling, representing more than 80% of those identified.
The programme provides school fees and supplies, healthcare, psychosocial support and birth registration.
It has also supported the construction of 32 education and healthcare facilities, comprising eight schools, 16 remedial education centres and eight healthcare centres.
The project is financed with nearly US$80 million from the African Development Bank Group.
Beyond education and social protection, PABEA-Cobalt seeks to reduce household dependence on income from artisanal mining by creating alternative economic opportunities.
The programme has established two agribusiness training and entrepreneurship centres in Mutumpeke, Haut-Katanga, and Kamoa, Lualaba.
It has also supported the establishment of 963 agricultural cooperatives to help beneficiaries participate in agricultural production, processing and marketing.
The FNPSS is seeking to expand the approach to additional provinces and mineral supply chains.
Its Director-General, Alice Mirimo Kabetsi, called for the programme to be extended beyond cobalt, while plans for a second phase, including additional agribusiness entrepreneurship centres, are being developed.
The campaign to secure the removal of Congolese cobalt from the US Department of Labor’s List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor has significant implications for the country’s mining industry.
The listing identifies goods for which the department has reason to believe child or forced labour has been used in production.
Cobalt ore from the DRC remains listed amid documented concerns over working conditions, particularly in artisanal mining areas of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba.
Continued inclusion can create reputational and supply-chain due diligence challenges for mineral producers, traders and downstream manufacturers seeking to demonstrate responsible sourcing.
The issue is particularly relevant to Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC), a subsidiary of state-owned mining company Gécamines, which has been tasked with organising the purchase and sale of artisanal cobalt.
EGC aims to formalise artisanal production, improve traceability and connect responsibly sourced material with international industrial buyers.
Congolese authorities intend to develop a roadmap to support the delisting request. However, the programme’s reported results do not automatically guarantee removal from the US list.
Any decision will depend on the US Department of Labor’s assessment of evidence concerning labour conditions and progress in addressing the identified risks.
For the DRC, demonstrating measurable improvements in child protection, working conditions and traceability will be important to strengthening the credibility of its artisanal cobalt supply chain and maintaining access to international critical minerals markets.
SOURCE:bankable.africa
