REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 30, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On Wednesday,
Pact and Microsoft Corp. announced an expanded partnership to
address child labor in mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Microsoft
has made a new, three-year financial commitment to support Pact's
work to address child labor in mining, and will build on the
successful Watoto Inje ya Mungoti (Children Out of Mining)
project.
Across DRC, it is estimated that over 10 million people rely on
income from artisanal and small-scale mining, working in materials
including tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold and cobalt. While children
under 18 cannot legally work in the mines, the law is not widely
observed for several economic and societal reasons. As a result,
many children start working in mines at a very young age.
Pact and Microsoft have been working to change this reality
through the Children Out of Mining pilot project in Katanga since
2015. The project uses interventions that are deeply embedded in
communities and local institutions to address the economic and
social root causes that lead to child labor in mining. In mines
where the project has been active, Pact has found a reduction in
child labor between 77 percent and 97 percent over the course of
the project to date, with variation influenced by seasonal factors
such as the influx of new conflict-displaced families, among
others.
"Microsoft was one of our first partners on this important
issue. Its seed funding helped us achieve groundbreaking progress
in the first two years of work," said Yves
Bawa, Pact country director for DRC, Rwanda and Burundi.
As part of the expansion, Pact and Microsoft will provide more
direct support to children and adolescents and the local
organizations that assist them. Activities will include developing
an apprenticeship program for older adolescents, improving the
capacity of local orphanages, assessing state child protection and
welfare services, and supporting home-based daycare for younger
children of miners. This builds on the existing program, which has
created protective environments for children in areas associated
with artisanal mining.
"There is no place for child labor in the mining supply chain,"
said Joan Krajewski, general manager
of Safety, Compliance and Sustainability at Microsoft. "By
expanding and deepening Microsoft's partnership with Pact, we can
make meaningful progress toward addressing the worst forms of child
labor. Already, we've seen the difference these programs can make,
and hope that our investment will encourage others to join in these
scalable, replicable efforts."
This latest commitment builds on both organizations' long
history of promoting responsible sourcing of raw materials.
Microsoft has been working directly with suppliers and through NGOs
like Pact with the goal of eradicating child labor in the mining
supply chain, with a particular focus on tin, tantalum, tungsten,
gold and cobalt. This commitment is a fundamental part of
Microsoft's holistic and multifaceted approach to promote safe,
ethical working conditions to the farthest reaches of its supply
chains. Pact has been working for more than 10 years in
Congo's mining communities to
address systemic changes needed to improve the lives of artisanal
miners and their families on a range of issues, including child
labor.
Pact's Mines to Markets program currently works in 10 countries
assisting resource-dependent communities to gain lasting benefits
from the more sustainable use of their natural resources. Utilizing
a unique integrated approach, Pact's work links mining to
livelihoods, governance, health, the environment, and strengthening
of local, regional and national institutions.
More information about Pact's work in mining can be found at
www.pactworld.org/mining, and the report Children Out of Mining can
be downloaded at
http://www.pactworld.org/library/children-out-mining.
About Pact
Pact is the promise of a better tomorrow
for communities challenged by poverty and marginalization. We serve
these communities because we envision a world where everyone owns
their future. To do this, we build systemic solutions in
partnership with local organizations, businesses, and governments
that create sustainable and resilient communities where those we
serve are heard, capable, and vibrant. On the ground in nearly 40
countries, Pact's integrated adaptive approach is shaping the
future of international development. Visit us at
www.pactworld.org
About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT" @microsoft)
is the leading platform and productivity company for the
mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower
every person and every organization on the planet to achieve
more.
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SOURCE Microsoft Corp.