What is the relationship between verification and certification?
The ICVB’s primary mandate is to verify the accuracy of the certification surveys conducted by the Governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana initiated under the Harkin-Engel Protocol. In this context, certification is not a product certification (such as organic or fair trade certifications) but rather it is an assessment of the current labor conditions in both countries. Verification has the dual role of monitoring the certification studies as they have been carried out in the past and recommendations for strengthening future certification and remediation efforts.
