Tragedy of Children in Cobalt Industry

By Ayman Okeil

During my recent visit to Geneva, I had a brief but impactful conversation with a friend about the widespread violations faced by children around the world, particularly the recruitment of children in places like Tindouf. During our discussion, a friend from the Democratic Republic of the Congo joined us and posed a poignant question: “What do you think of this?!” He then showed us pictures of children working in cobalt mines in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Congo holds half of the world’s cobalt resources, earning it title “Queen of Cobalt.” Cobalt is essential for manufacturing smartphone and electric vehicle batteries. There are over 65 mines extracting this metal in Democratic Republic of the Congo, employing approximately 255,000 workers.
This vital mineral is classified as a “conflict mineral,” and its extraction is deeply intertwined with significant human rights issues, particularly the “worst forms of child labor.” This situation contradicts the seventh target of the eighth goal of Sustainable Development Goals and threatens to leave thousands of children behind in terms of development and its benefits. Alarmingly, around 40,000 children, some as young as six years old, work in these mines, earning less than two dollars a day for shifts that can last up to 14 hours. These children are exposed to perilous conditions daily, leading to the deaths of many due to prolonged exposure to dust and toxic fumes. Inhaling this dust can cause serious respiratory issues, including shortness of breath and a condition known as black lung disease. Despite these severe health risks, measures to reduce child labor in this industry remain insufficient. Although Democratic Republic of the Congo officially classifies cobalt mining as a hazardous occupation where child labor is prohibited, many children work informally or in the informal sector. In many instances, relevant institutions neglect to inspect or monitor these mines.
Given the increasing risks faced by children, I noted the advocacy efforts led by opinion makers and child rights advocates, urging technology companies to distance themselves from this industry and conduct risk assessments regarding child labor in cobalt extraction. However, major companies such as Apple, Samsung, Alphabet (the parent company of Google), Tesla, and others in the automotive sector, which benefit from cobalt extraction, have largely ignored these campaigns. Despite pledging to uphold child labor policies, these promises have not translated into meaningful commitments. It appears that these pledges have remained mere words on paper, indicating that these companies are complicit in the worst forms of child labor. This situation calls for diligent compliance with human rights standards, as outlined in the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights adopted by resolution 4/17 of the Human Rights Council. Most dangerously, in my opinion, the Cobalt industry is poised to boom in the future. According to International Energy Agency, demand for metal is likely to increase 20-fold by 2040, which means more children will continue to work in dangerous conditions in deadly cobalt mines unless we push for a “zero child labour” policy, which I propose in this article and hope will find a listening ear.