TRAFFICKED CHILDREN ON AFRICAN COCOA PLANTATIONS

Early day motion 1042, tabled 6 March 2007 by Mike Hancock (Liberal Democrat). Signed by 64 members.

That this House notes with concern that trafficking of children is a growing problem in the production of cocoa and that at least 15,000 Malian children are trafficked on to cocoa and coffee plantations in Cote d'Ivoire; welcomes the UK's support for the relevant International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conventions and ILO programmes elsewhere; notes with dismay the lack of progress by the cocoa industry in implementing a monitoring and certification process and its inability to be able to guarantee the absence of trafficked labour on cocoa production lines; and calls upon the Government and the cocoa industry to provide a Traffik Free Guarantee, as suggested by the Stop The Traffik coalition, for all cocoa products.

Signatures by party: Labour 35, Liberal Democrat 15, DUP 5, Conservative 4, Social Democratic and Labour Party 3, Scottish National Party 1, UUP 1.