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Caleb Owen

Senior International Relations Specialist, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking

Caleb Owen is a Senior International Relations Specialist in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Child, Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking. He researches and drafts the Department of Labor’s reports on child labor and forced labor, covering countries in southern and eastern Africa. Through his research, Caleb has worked to understand the nature of child labor and forced labor exploitation the social and economic forces driving child labor and forced labor exploitation in Africa, including in the small-scale and artisanal mining sector. He also engages with governments, industry, and civil society to advance actions to eliminate child labor and forced labor. https://www.linkedin.com/in/caleb-owen-38267a178 

Closing the Knowledge Gap: The Department of Labor’s Research and Information Tools Related to Child Labor and Forced Labor in Global Mineral Supply Chains

The global nature of mineral supply chains, and the vulnerabilities of minerals such as gold, diamonds, and gemstones to child labor, forced labor, and other forms of economic exploitation, can be perplexing for consumers, makers, and distributors who want to trade in jewelry ethically. The U.S. Department of Labor, through its International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB), is here to help. ILAB’s reports on child labor and forced labor provide information on where child labor and forced labor exploitation occurs and gaps in the legal framework, enforcement, coordination, policies, and programs that potentially increase vulnerabilities for exploitation. In addition, ILAB provides a variety of Web-based tools, including its Sweat and Toil App, Comply Chain App, and new Better Trade Tool. These resources offer consumers, policymakers, governments, businesses and industry groups, workers’ associations, and civil society organizations access to all of ILAB"s research and policy recommendations, steps to develop due diligence systems, and data that visualizes the impact of goods affected by child labor and forced labor on U.S. trade. This presentation will give an overview of these resources, highlighting how consumers, civil society organizations, and industry stakeholders working with jewelry can utilize them to understand and work to mitigate risks and become stronger advocates for the workers.