Child Labor

SESSION OF THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2002

Child Labor in the Production of Sports Equipment

Karamanou (PSE). – Mr. President, the FIFA World Cup is undoubtedly a major international sports event, attracting the attention of millions of people worldwide. In the shadow of this event, thousands of children devote their precious time every day to making the balls used in football matches. These children are deprived of any opportunity to receive a better education at school or to play like other children of their age. Child labor and the inhumane working conditions for adults involved in the production of footballs unfortunately continue to be common practices, despite the agreements made by the International Football Federation with sports equipment manufacturing companies.

According to the report by the organization “International Network Against Child Labor,” entitled “The Dark Side of Football,” Pakistan is the largest producer of footballs in the world, with India ranking second. In just one area of India, Punjab, approximately 10,000 children aged between 6 and 12 years old work sewing footballs, while around 15,000 children work in the town of Sialkot in Pakistan. These balls, made by children’s hands for a few cents, are the same ones sold in Western sports stores with the logos of well-known companies, including FIFA, for dozens of dollars.

Despite efforts to address this tragic phenomenon through programs and monitoring systems, both by international organizations and the sports equipment companies themselves, it has been found that production has been relocated to small settlements where either law enforcement is insufficient or children no longer work in factories, but at home. Additionally, according to the “Times” newspaper in London, many children were found making footballs bearing the names of well-known multinational companies.

We ask that this World Cup, which has been dedicated to children, become an opportunity for international organizations, sports equipment companies, and governments to work together to adopt a reliable system for monitoring compliance with labor standards. Since child labor is neither a hobby nor a game, I expect that both FIFA and the industry will take the lead in making football a truly fair game for all. We must send a message today that work should be given to adults, while children should be in school. Adults at work, children at school.