Norway profits from the exploitation of tens of millions of children
Norway profits from the exploitation of tens of millions of children
Fernando Morales-de la Cruz wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Norway demanding that Norway stops profiting from the exploitation of tens of millions of poor and defenseless children via the investments of the Norwegian Pension Fund in hundreds of corporations with cruel and illegal business models. The letter is below:
Strasbourg, April 23rd 2021
The Prime
Minister
Kingdom of
Norway
Oslo, Norway
Madam Prime
Minister:
I write to you
extremely
concerned
because 72
years after
the Universal
Declaration of
Human Rights,
31 years after
ratifying the
Convention on
Rights of the
Child and, in
2021, the
International
Year for the
Elimination of
Child Labor,
neither the
Norwegian
government
over which you
preside nor
the Norwegian
Pension Fund
have taken any
concrete
actions to
eliminate
child labor.
As you know,
the Convention
on Rights of
the Child is
embedded in
Norwegian
legislation in
the Human
Rights Act.
According to
Article 3 of
the Human
Rights Act the
Convention
shall have
precedence in
Norwegian law.
According to
the Norwegian
Constitution,
Article 92 ,
"The
authorities of
the State
shall respect
and secure the
human rights
as they are
written in
this
Constitution
and in the
treaties of
human rights
that are
binding for
Norway."
Article 104 of
the
Constitution,
"Children have
the right to
respect for
their human
value."
In spite of
all of this
and of many
promises by
you and your
government,
including your
official
commitment to
support the
Sustainable
Development
Goals and help
advance,
protect and
defend human
rights and
children’s
rights around
the world,
Norway profits
today from the
exploitation
of tens of
millions of
poor and
defenseless
children via
the
investments of
the Norwegian
Pension Fund
in hundreds of
corporations
with cruel and
illegal
business
models that
are the
opposite of
the SDGs and
exploit child
laborers to
reduce costs
and increase
profits.
This is
extremely
serious
because,
besides being
cruel and
illegal
according to
Norwegian law
and
international
law, it is
about Norway,
one of the
richest
countries on
earth
profiting from
the
exploitation
of tens of
millions of
some of the
poorest
children on
earth.
It is safe to
say that the
“ethical”
coffee, tea,
and
cocoa consumed
by you, by all
in the
Norwegian
government and
Parliament,
and even by
the King of
Norway, are
produced with
slave and
child labor.
False
“development
aid”
initiatives
funded by
Norway and the
lack of
meaningful
commitment to
the rule of
law fuel
misery,
hunger,
malnutrition,
child labor,
and forced
migration in
the Norwegian
supply chain
and in the
supply chain
of hundreds of
the
corporations
in which
Norway is a
shareholder.
As things
stand, Norway
discriminates
against
exploited
children and
ignores their
fundamental
rights. While
these poor
children might
be invisible
to most
Norwegian
citizens, you
and I, and
most
journalists,
know very well
that they
exist, even if
the Norwegian
media does not
report much
about them.
These poor
children are
innocent
victims of the
indifference
of otherwise
good people.
They are
victims of
cruel,
exploitative,
and illegal
business
models that
generate
billions of
euros in
profits per
year to the
Norwegians via
the Norwegian
Pension Fund.
Norges Bank,
the Norwegian
Ministry of
Finance and
the Council on
Ethics cannot
continue to
claim to the
national and
international
media that the
Norwegian
Pension Fund
follows strict
ethical
guidelines
while it
profits from
the
exploitation
of tens of
millions of
defenseless
child workers.
Even if the
exploitation
by
corporations
of tens of
millions of
poor and
defenseless
children is
extremely
profitable for
Norway and
other
investors, I
truly hope
that your
government
will act in
defense of
human rights
and the rule
of law with
urgency and
with all
legal,
political, and
material means
at your
disposal.
Doing nothing
is tantamount
to consenting
to, aiding,
and abetting a
tragic crime
against
humanity,
perpetrated
against tens
of millions of
poor and
defenseless
children.
June 12th is
the World Day
Against Child
Labor, I hope
that you will
use this date
to announce
that Norway
has decided to
stop profiting
from the
exploitation
of tens of
millions of
poor and
defenseless
children. It
is the right
thing to do.
Sincerely,
Fernando
Morales-de la
Cruz
cc. Ms. Ine
Marie Eriksen
Søreide,
Minister of
Foreign
Affairs
Mr. Jan Tore
Sanner,
Minister of
Finance
Mr. Øystein
Olsen,
Governor
Norges Bank
Mr Johan H.
Andresen,
Chair Council
on Ethics
Mr Nikolai
Tangen, CEO
Norwegian
Pension Fund
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