Nike has admitted it cannot guarantee that its products will not be made using child labour in a report designed to address the accusations that have plagued the company.
After years of accusations from pressure groups that the company exploits its workforce and damages the environment, Nike has put together its first comprehensive and public review of its corporate responsibility practices.
The report includes assessments of Nike's workforce - discussing issues such as health and wages - and the environmental impact and sustainability of its products as well as the company's involvement in local communities.
Nike admits it cannot ensure that none of its contractors will use child labour, and says the issue is the "most vexing" problem it faces.
"Our goal... is to continue to do everything we can to eradicate child labour in our contract factories, but we can be certain that cases will occur," the report states.
Nike says its age standards are the highest in the world - its employees must be at least 18 for making shoes and 16 for clothing and equipment. But instances of child labour have been uncovered through media investigations, notably by Life magazine and the BBC.
The report claims Nike has responded fully to cases of child labour and that it employs a team of people to inspect its factories.
"We believe that only by being truly transparent and sharing what we have learned can we be a successful, global company while learning and improving as a corporate citizen," said Maria Eitel, Nike's vice-president and senior adviser for corporate responsibility.
"Admittedly, this report is incomplete. We are just beginning to truly understand what being a sustainable business means.
"For now, it offers an honest self-assessment of our progress to date and a roadmap for where we are headed in the future," she added.
