Hab Aksi Hak Kanak-kanak MY Voice Dirasmikan di Malaysia

group photo
Panel members and attendees at the Child Rights Action Hub launch

Hab Aksi Hak Kanak-kanak (Hab Aksi) yang diurus oleh MY Voice, telah dirasmikan di Malaysia pada 12 Jun, selaras dengan sambutan Hari Penentangan Buruh Kanak-Kanak Sedunia.

The Action Hub is building a community-based, long-term child labour prevention and remediation system guided by children’s best interests. It facilitates collaborative action, enabling brands, retailers, and local plantations to participate in joint activities and address child labour risks in their palm oil supply chain, including in the most remote areas. It is supported by a network of local remediation service providers and case managers.

Woman sitting on a stage speaking into a microphone. Two other women sit beside her on stage
Panel Discussion

During the launch event, key palm oil industry stakeholders discussed the need for a collaborative approach to address child labour in the sector. The panel session highlighted the following key points:

  • Growing global demand for responsible labour practices. There is a global push to make human rights due diligence (HRDD) mandatory, specifically focusing on addressing child labour. Although HRDD is not mandatory in Malaysia now, the government has started providing guidelines, and they are likely to become more stringent in the future.
  • Businesses play a crucial role in the fight against child labour. They are urged to adopt HRDD and demonstrate their commitment to addressing child labour issues. This includes acknowledging child labour risks within the business and taking proactive steps to identify, mitigate, and remedy actual and potential impacts.
  • Many tools and resources are already available. Existing guidelines, toolkits, manuals, and training provided by organisations such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and large palm oil companies can be utilised to help lower-tier businesses meet their recruitment needs.
  • Collaboration is essential. This includes collaboration among different entities within the value chain, such as brands, retailers, growers (including large plantations, medium plantations, and smallholder farms), business associations, and non-business entities like government and civil society organisations.
Person uses a smartphone to answer a survey. The question on screen reads: "What sections/discussion topics are you looking forward to today?"
Attendees were asked about their expectations of the launch

Libatkan Diri Anda

Upholding child rights and child protection is only possible through commitment from all stakeholders. Parents, communities, government, employers, international palm oil companies, and others all play an important role in establishing an industry-wide social compliance system that effectively prevents and remediates child labour. Additionally, investing in training teachers, who are the central welfare officers to these children, is one step in setting them up for a vibrant and healthy life.

Jika anda atau syarikat anda dalam sektor minyak kelapa sawit berminat untuk menyertai inisiatif ini atau berminat untuk mendapatkan sokongan kami untuk mengurus risiko buruh kanak-kanak di premis dan rantaian bekalan anda, projek MY Voice boleh membantu. Hubungi kami melalui ke contact@myvoiceproject.org. Bersama-sama, kita dapat membina masa depan yang lebih cerah dan membawa perubahan positif kepada kanak-kanak dalam komuniti ini.

More information about the Child Rights Action Hub here: https://myvoiceproject.org/

Photos courtesy of: The Centre for Child Rights and Business

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