Chapter 06 · Governance & regulationRegulation & International Instruments
Dutch Child Labor Due Diligence Law
Definition
The Dutch Child Labor Due Diligence Law (Wet Zorgplicht Kinderarbeid), adopted by the Dutch Senate in 2019, obliges companies that sell or supply goods or services to Dutch end-users — regardless of where the company is based — to investigate whether there is reasonable suspicion of child labour in their full supply chain, and if so to draw up and implement an action plan aligned with the UN Guiding Principles or OECD Guidelines, and to submit a due-diligence declaration to the regulator. Child labour is defined by reference to ILO Conventions 138 and 182.
References
obligations, scope and ILO definitions
adoption date, company scope, pending status
Overview
What it means
One of Europe's first human-rights due-diligence laws, targeting a single issue (child labour) across the entire value chain.
How it is used
The law's entry into force has been held pending alignment with the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive to avoid overlap; it remains a reference in national HREDD design.
Why it matters
It helped establish the legislative template — investigate, act, declare — later scaled up by French, German and EU-level due-diligence regimes.