The Responsible Mica Initiative’s (RMI) multi-stakeholder partnership approach, to resolve human rights conflict around child labor in mica supply chains in India, was judged to be one of the most innovative and inspiring solutions to take the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) from paper to practice, by the UN forum. RMI partner and co-founder, Terre Des Hommes Netherlands, had pitched the approach to the UN body. As winner, Terre Des Hommes has now been invited to present its approach to eliminate child labor in Mica mining in India, at the UN Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights in 2019 in Bangkok.
The approach, being jointly implemented by RMI through multiple ground partners, and players from the mica supply chain, along with Terre Des Hommes, aims to eliminate child labor in Indian mica mining states of Bihar and Jharkhand. The approach focuses on a comprehensive program that involves government, civil society, local community as well as business entities in the mica supply chain.
The program also recognizes that the children rights violations can only be resolved by addressing all factors that play into the emergence of child labour, and ensuring commitment of all actors to the agreed upon solution.
About UN Forum in Geneva
The UN Forum in Geneva is the world’s largest annual gathering on business and human rights, with more than 2,000 participants from government, business, community groups and civil society, UN bodies, national human rights institutions, trade unions, academia and the media.
