18. Child Labour in Côte d'Ivoire - Who Pays for your Chocolate? episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 1, 2026 · 24 MIN

18. Child Labour in Côte d'Ivoire - Who Pays for your Chocolate?

from Amicae Curiae · host Amicae Curiae

Grab your coffee and join us as we head to West Africa, where chocolate, child trafficking, and corporate accountability collide.In this episode, we tell the story of eight children from Mali, aged 10 to 14, who were trafficked to cocoa plantations in Côte d'Ivoire, forced to work without pay, and subjected to brutal violence when they tried to escape. Their story led to one of the most significant lawsuits in the emerging field of business and human rights: a case brought against some of the world's biggest chocolate companies, including Nestlé, Mars, Cargill, and Hershey.We explore the paradox of Côte d'Ivoire: the world's largest cocoa exporter, responsible for 40% of global production, yet a country where the profits of chocolate remain firmly in the hands of European and American multinationals. Despite repeated commitments to end child labour, an estimated 1.6 million children still harvest cocoa in West Africa today.At the legal heart of the episode lies a thorny question: can corporations be held responsible for human rights violations that occur deep in their supply chains? We unpack the broader landscape of business and human rights law, andthe troubling argument made by Nestlé and Cargill's lawyers: that corporations simply cannot be liable under international law for aiding and abetting child slavery.So, who bears the responsibility when a global industry is built on child labour?For any question or correction (because yes, we make mistakes), contact us at: [email protected]

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Jun 1, 2026

Grab your coffee and join us as we head to West Africa, where chocolate, child trafficking, and corporate accountability collide.In this episode, we tell the story of eight children from Mali, aged 10 to 14, who were trafficked to cocoa plantations in Côte d'Ivoire, forced to work without pay, and subjected to brutal violence when they tried to escape. Their story led to one of the most significant lawsuits in the emerging field of business and human rights: a case brought against some of the world's biggest chocolate companies, including Nestlé, Mars, Cargill, and Hershey.We explore the paradox of Côte d'Ivoire: the world's largest cocoa exporter, responsible for 40% of global production, yet a country where the profits of chocolate remain firmly in the hands of European and American multinationals. Despite repeated commitments to end child labour, an estimated 1.6 million children still harvest cocoa in West Africa today.At the legal heart of the episode lies a thorny question: can corporations be held responsible for human rights violations that occur deep in their supply chains? We unpack the broader landscape of business and human rights law, andthe troubling argument made by Nestlé and Cargill's lawyers: that corporations simply cannot be liable under international law for aiding and abetting child slavery.So, who bears the responsibility when a global industry is built on child labour?For any question or correction (because yes, we make mistakes), contact us at: [email protected]

PodParley-generated summary based on available episode metadata and transcript content.

NOW PLAYING

18. Child Labour in Côte d'Ivoire - Who Pays for your Chocolate?

0:00 24:08

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

In Foro Romano In Foro Romano Duae amicae quaque septimana de qua libet re latine loquuntur. Aliquando etiam de aliis linguis loquentes nos audere poteritis vel de diversis argumentis... at lingua Latina semper est hic maximi momenti! NYCLA Amicus Curiae New York County Lawyers Association The New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) launched a new podcast series called NYCLA Amicus Curiae. Each month, NYCLA Amicus Curiae's host, Daniel K. Wiig, will host leaders of the bench, bar and legal community for casual and useful conversations to provide listeners a candid view of the innerworkings of the legal profession and those who undertake its charge. LCIL Friday Lecture: 'Foreign Affairs and Domestic Courts' by Lord David Lloyd-Jones This talk will consider the changes which have taken place in recent years in attitudes towards questions of public international law and of foreign affairs when they arise in the context of domestic litigation.David Lloyd Jones, Lord Lloyd-Jones, became a Justice of The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom in October 2017.Lord Lloyd-Jones was born and brought up in Pontypridd, Glamorgan. He attended Pontypridd Boys' Grammar School and Downing College, Cambridge of which he was a Fellow from 1975 to 1991. At the Bar his practice included international law, EU law and public law. He was amicus curiae (independent advisor to the court) in the Pinochet litigation before the House of Lords.Lord Lloyd-Jones was appointed to the High Court in 2005. From 2008 to 2011 he served as a Presiding Judge on the Wales Circuit and Chair of the Lord Chancellor's Standing Committee on the Welsh Language. In 2012 he was appointed a Lord Justice of Appeal and from 2012 to 2015 he was Chairman of the LCIL Friday Lecture: 'The Amicus Curiae mechanism at the International Criminal Court' by Prof Sarah Williams Lecture summary: The role of civil society in drafting and the adoption of the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court (ICC) is well known, as is the contribution of civil society to advocating for states to ratify the Statute and implement its provisions. However, despite the importance of these contributions, such opportunities do not constitute direct participation in the formal proceedings of the ICC. Other than the role of civil society actors as a witness, be it as an expert or a factual witness, there is only one option for direct participation of civil society in ICC proceedings: that is, to participate as an amicus curiae. States, too, have more limited rights of participation in proceedings before the ICC, particularly in comparison to other international institutions. However, the proceedings may raise issues of direct relevance to a state or broader relevance to several states, including states parties and non states-parties. Where the Rome Statute legal framewor

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Amicae Curiae?

This episode is 24 minutes long.

When was this Amicae Curiae episode published?

This episode was published on June 1, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Grab your coffee and join us as we head to West Africa, where chocolate, child trafficking, and corporate accountability collide.In this episode, we tell the story of eight children from Mali, aged 10 to 14, who were trafficked to cocoa plantations...

Can I download this Amicae Curiae episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!