CHILD LABOUR POLICY

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Noa's acknowledges the fact that child labour occurs in many countries. However, Noa's does not accept child labour, and works actively against it. The complexity of the child labour issue requires a consistent, long-term effort to create sustainable and broad-based solutions in order to reach our goal; that no products delivered to Noa's are produced by child labour. Noa's respects different cultures and values in countries where Noa's operates and sources its products, but does not compromise on the basic requirements regarding the Rights of the Child.

Noa's Child Labour Policy has been established in order to make Noa's position clear to suppliers and their co-workers, as well as any other parties. The requirements in this code of conduct are mandatory to all suppliers and their sub-contractors.

1. General Principle

Noa's does not accept child labour. Noa's supports the United Nations (U.N.) Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989).

Noa's child labour policy is based on this Convention, which stipulates:
 

• “All actions concerning the child shall take full account of his or her best interests.” Article 3.

• “The right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development”.  Article 32.1.

In addition, this policy is based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Minimum Age Convention no. 138 (1973). According to this convention, the word “Child” is defined as any person below fifteen (15) years of age, unless local minimum age law stipulates a higher age for work or mandatory schooling, in which case the higher age would apply. If, however, the local minimum working age is set at fourteen (14) years of age in accordance with exceptions for developing countries, the lower age will apply.

This Policy also incorporates the ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour no. 182 (1999).
 

2. Implementation

All actions to avoid child labour shall be implemented by taking the child’s best interests into account. Noa's requires that all suppliers shall recognise the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, and that the suppliers comply with all relevant national and international laws, regulations and provisions applicable in the country of production. Suppliers are obliged to take the appropriate measures to ensure that no child labour occurs at suppliers’ and their sub-contractors’ places of production. If child labour is found in any place of production, Noa's will require the supplier to implement a corrective action plan. If corrective action is not implemented within the agreed time-frame, or if repeated violations occur, Noa's will terminate all business with the supplier concerned. The corrective action plan shall take the child’s best interests into consideration, i.e. family and social situation and level of education. Care shall be taken not merely to move child labour from one supplier’s workplace to another, but to enable more viable and sustainable alternatives for the child’s development.

The supplier shall effectively communicate to all its sub-contractors, as well as to its own coworkers, the content of Noa's Child Labour Policy, and ensure that all measures required are implemented accordingly.
 

3. Labour force register

The supplier shall maintain documentation for every worker verifying the worker’s date of birth. In countries where such official documents are not available, the supplier must use appropriate assessment methods as per local practice and law.
 

4. Monitoring

All suppliers are obliged to keep Noa's informed at all times about all places of production (including their sub-contractors). Any undisclosed production centres found would constitute a violation of this code of conduct. Through the General Purchasing Conditions for the supply of products to Noa's, Noa's has reserved the right to make unannounced visits at any time to all places of production (including their sub-contractors) for goods intended for supply to Noa's. Furthermore, Noa's reserves the right to assign, at its sole discretion, an independent third party to conduct inspections in order to ensure compliance with Noa's Child Labour policy.

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