[name] of your Parliamentarian or Representative

Address

This letter is a template; you can adapt it to fit the context of the legislative ask to your government

[date]

Dear [insert their name]

Please take parliamentary/legislative action to help stop child trafficking in the cocoa industry.

Ten years ago chocolate companies promised to stop child trafficking in the cocoa industry in West Africa. Ten years later, all we’ve got are broken promises and a tiny amount of Traffik Free chocolate.

In the ten years of broken promises, the cocoa industry has made 1 trillion dollars, or 600 billion pounds, from cocoa products, and only invested 0.0075% of this on improving conditions in West Africa.[1]The industry continues to reap in the profits while children are trafficked and forced to work, at the expense of their health, education and sometimes their lives.

Promises can be broken – we need a law that must be kept – it’s time for the government to act. I am writing as part of STOP THE TRAFFIK, a member of the Ten Campaign that is a joint global initiative by NGOs and Trade Unions to end child trafficking in the cocoa industry.Together we are askingyou to help us implement legislation requiring:

a)Independent inspections of chocolate companies’ supply chains down to farm level, which are submitted to parliament and published annually.

b)Annual public disclosure of all efforts and money spent on tackling child trafficking in chocolate companies’ supply chains.

c)The possibility for trafficking victims who have been part of a chocolate company’s supply chain to bring legal action against them.

d)An offence for companies to trade in cocoa products produced using child trafficking victims.

e)Establishing an independent body that monitors and reports on the chocolate industry’s progress in keeping the above laws and regulations.

I am joining with campaigners around the world who are asking their governments to take action. Please join the fight, together with your parliamentary/legislative colleagues. If you would like more information, or would like to meet with me please let me know, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

[Your signature]

[Your name]

[Your contact details]

STOP THE TRAFFIK

[1] International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO)