Norway's investments and child exploitation: a call to action

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a renowned defender of human dignity, has called upon Norway's current Nobel Peace Prize laureate to address a troubling contradiction between the Scandinavian nation's commitment to human rights and the financial interests held by its massive sovereign wealth fund. Norway's investment portfolio, managed by Norges Bank Investment Management, includes nearly 7,000 companies worldwide, which could be implicated in the exploitation of children.

The Archbishop challenges Norway to identify, disclose and take action against credible evidence of child labor in the companies it invests in. This request is not an unfounded allegation, but rather a demand for accountability, as the billions of dollars at stake require ethical investment decisions.

Tutu reminds us of the words of Martin Luther King Jr., who envisioned a world where every child could enjoy basic conditions of a dignified life. This vision cannot coexist with the exploitation of children who are denied the opportunity to attend school, work in dangerous conditions, and possess the freedom to determine their future.

Norway, as a country with a strong commitment to human rights, must ensure that its investment policies do not contribute to the suffering of children. The Archbishop urges the Norwegian Prime Minister and Governor of Norges Bank to provide transparency by systematically assessing its investments in companies linked to child labor and publishing meaningful information on how it will address the issue.