The Fair Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO) speaks out on behalf of the Fair Trade Movement for Fair Trade and Trade Justice with the aim to improve the livelihoods of marginalised producers and workers in the South.
The FTAO is a joint initiative of Fairtrade International, the World Fair Trade Organization and the World Fair Trade Organization-Europe. Mining of minerals, used in ICT equipment, are associated with risks and impacts concerning human rights abuse, socio-ecological conflicts and violations of labour, social and environmental rights.
Moreover, ICT devices contain so-called conflict minerals (tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold), the extraction of which risks contributing to armed conflict and severe human rights abuse.