Knowledgebase on child labour in the sector

The success of any project depends largely on the knowledgebase that it is founded upon. It is all but impossible to deliver sustainable impacts without accurate knowledge of the project environment, the stakeholders and the industry at large. Gathering this knowledge and ensuring that it is accurate, neutral and up-to-date often requires significant efforts – in particular in sectors where little pioneering research has been done.

The project collaborates with various local universities, think tanks and individual representatives of the academia in order to i. ensure that the project actions are informed with the most current and accurate knowledge and ii. to build awareness and motivate action within general public and industry stakeholders by disseminating knowledge and information about child labour in the industry.

The main knowledge partners include:
• The Thailand Development Research Institute (TDRI) for Project Baseline information in Samut Sakhon and Surat Thani
• Prince of Songkla University (PSU) for Project Baseline information in Songkhla and Nakhon si Thammarat
• Dhurakij Pundit University (DPU) on establishment of monitoring and evaluation systems
• Dhurakij Pundit University (DPU) on migrant chidren's syrvey in Samut Sakhon
• Research and Development Institute of KKU University on Child Labour Monitoring

The ILO-IPEC project on addressing child labour in the shrimp and seafood industry in Thailand has generated a wealth of knowledge and data on child labour in the shrimp and seafood processing industries in Thailand through first-hand research, industry analysis and reviews of existing information.

The project is making this information available in various forms including research reports, factsheets and technical materials such as guidelines and training manuals. This knowledge is actively disseminated through ILO’s existing knowledge sharing platforms and through other means including the following:
  • ILO-IPEC website
  • Stakeholder and taskforce meetings
  • Trainings and capacity building events
  • Seminars and open discussion forums
  • Technical meeting
The information in these publications has proven invaluable in terms of guiding the project and the stakeholders in combatting the worst forms of child labour. The outputs will also provide sustainability of the project results, as they will be used in various situations including future research by academics, students and even in informing policymakers engaging in evidence-based policymaking. The projects work in expanding the knowledgebase ties into the larger scheme of ILO’s work on knowledge – about which you can find more information here: https://www./ilo.org/asia/info/library/lang--en/index.htm