Dispatches: Child labour in Dubai’s gold supply chain

In the last decade, Dubai has become an important hub for the global gold trade. Around 40 percent of all gold traded on the international market flows through the “city of gold,” as Dubai likes to call itself. This week, gold refiners, traders, bankers, and others have been assessing gold market trends at the Dubai Precious Metals Conference.

Unfortunately, human rights are not on the meeting’s agenda. And while the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, a regulatory body, has put in place a standard on responsible sourcing, the standard is voluntary and does not address child labor at all.

Human Rights Watch’s research shows how neglecting child labor in gold supply chains can impact children.