A Poisonous Mix - Human Rights Watch

V. Limited Impact: Policy and Program
Responses to Child Labor and Abuse
The Malian government has the primary political and legal responsibility to address child
rights violations in Mali. Mali’s democratically elected government has shown its will to
address human rights violations by ratifying a large number of international human rights
instruments. However, government policies and programs on child labor and the rights of
children have had a little impact because they lacked political and financial support, or
have not been implemented.
International donors have an important role to play in supporting the government in the
realization of rights. In 2009, the five top donors to Mali were the United States, the
European Union, the African Development Bank, the World Bank, and China. Other
important bilateral donors include France, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, and
Japan. 228 While some donors are involved in initiatives relating to child labor and child
protection, these areas have not received the attention they should.
UN agencies and NGOs are also addressing child labor and mining issues in Mali and other
nations. While the ILO and NGOs have carried out some important programs in Mali, these
have been limited in scope. Unfortunately, the ILO has failed to follow up on a global
campaign for the elimination of child labor in artisanal mining, in which 15 governments
pledged to end child labor in mining by 2015.
Government Action on Child Labor
In 2006, the government created a National Unit to Combat Child Labor in the Ministry of
Labor (Cellule nationale de lutte contre le travail des enfants, hereafter referred to as Child
Labor Unit). The unit has conducted studies on child labor and drawn up a list of hazardous
labor which prohibits almost all gold mining activities for children, such as digging shafts,
transporting rock, crushing and grinding ore, panning in water, and using mercury. 229
228 Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, “Rapport Final,” January 2011, http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/61/1/47083517.pdf
(accessed August 9, 2011), p. 17. The policy framework for development aid is laid down in the government’s “Growth and Poverty
Reduction Strategy Framework.” The current framework covers the period 2007-2011, and a new framework is currently being
developed. Ministère de l’Economie et des Finances, “Elaboration du CSRP 2012-2017 et Préparation de la Revue du CSRP 2007-
2011 portant sur l’Année 2010,” May 2011, http://www.maliapd.org/IMG/file/pdf/DOCUMENTS_CLES/1_CSCRP/TDR_CSCRP_2012_2017_Mai%202011.pdf
(accessed August 9, 2011), p. 3.
229 See also section II.
53 HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | DECEMBER 2011