Lima – Promoting supply chains free of child labour is a responsibility of member states , at the different levels of government, and it requires compliance from companies, as well as attention from workers’ organizations. 

In this context, the Regional Initiative Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labour₁ (RI) initiated a series of training sessions on the importance of due diligence for companies, as a mean to prevent and eradicate child labour in supply chains.  These trainings are conducted by specialists from the ILO's RBCLAC₂ Project and are directed to Focal Points of governments, business and workers’ organizations that are members of the RI. 

Due diligence is defined as the continuous process that companies should follow to ensure and assess the potential impacts, risks, and responsibilities that their business operations – throughout their supply chain – may generate. 

Child labour persists as a challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean region, where 8.2 million children and adolescents find themselves in this situation (ILO-UNICEF, 2021). Therefore, the commitment of all sectors is needed to free the region free of child labour. 

1. The Regional Initiative Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labour operates with the technical assistance of the ILO and the sustained support of its partners, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the Andalusian Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AACID), the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), and the United States Department of Labor (USDOL).  

2.The Responsible Business Conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean (RBCLAC) Project, funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in collaboration with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Office of the High Commissioner of the United Nations for Human Rights (OFCHR), aims to promote smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth in the EU and in Latin America and the Caribbean, by supporting responsible business conduct practices in line with the UN, ILO and the OECD instruments.