But all these big bucks have human rights defense organizations worried. Doubling that cost would not make much of a difference in the final price, but it would provide an important shield against bad press, while, at the same time, significantly improving workers conditions in developing countries. Chantal Plamondon is a lawyer and works as a business consultant. She is also a member of the Canadian Centre for Ethics and Corporate Policy and a Board member of the Ethics Practitioners' Association of Canada. One of these standards prohibits the employment of child labour, and also sets standards for the treatment of under-age children found to be employed by companies that subscribe to these principles, so that they are not simply thrown out onto the street and into an even worse predicament.
Child labour is an immensely complex issue and extremely difficult to solve.
Immediate abolition is not only impossible, but potentially very harmful in the short run. A copy of her talk is highly recommended reading. It is available on request from the Centre, and on its web site. As this editorial was being written, President Clinton was in Geneva providing a strong endorsement to the ILO's efforts in this field. Advertising is not, technically, news.