Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

Congo, Democratic Republic of the (DRC)

Cobalt Ore (heterogenite)
Cobalt Ore (heterogenite)
Child Labor Icon
Copper
Copper
Child Labor Icon
Diamonds
Diamonds
Child Labor Icon
Gold
Gold
Child Labor Icon
Forced Child Labor Icon
Forced Labor Icon
Tantalum Ore (coltan)
Tantalum Ore (coltan)
Child Labor Icon
Forced Child Labor Icon
Forced Labor Icon
Tin Ore (cassiterite)
Tin Ore (cassiterite)
Child Labor Icon
Forced Child Labor Icon
Forced Labor Icon
Tungsten Ore (wolframite)
Tungsten Ore (wolframite)
Child Labor Icon
Forced Child Labor Icon
Forced Labor Icon
Congo, Democratic Republic of the (DRC)
2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

Moderate Advancement

In 2021, the Democratic Republic of the Congo made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. During the reporting period, the government allocated 40 percent of the national budget to primary education. The National Action Plan to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labor was extended to 2025. In addition, First Lady Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi, in collaboration with the National Committee to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labor and World Vision, hosted an advocacy workshop on combating child labor. However, children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in the forced mining of gold, tin ore (cassiterite), tantalum ore (coltan), and tungsten ore (wolframite), and are used in armed conflict, sometimes as a result of forcible recruitment or abduction by non-state armed groups. Children also mine cobalt ore (heterogenite) in the Copperbelt region. The government did not publish labor or criminal law enforcement data. It also failed to take active measures to ensure that children are not inappropriately incarcerated, penalized, or physically harmed solely for unlawful acts as a direct result of being a survivor of the worst forms of child labor. Other gaps remain, including a lack of enforcement personnel, insufficient training for enforcement personnel, limited financial resources, and poor coordination of government efforts to address child labor.

Want this report plus over a thousand pages of research in the palm of
your hand? Download ILAB's Sweat & Toil App today!