GENEVA (ILO News) - The ILO, in partnership with several institutions, has organized several events focusing on the global campaign to eliminate child labour on Wednesday, 28 June, as a Children's Day for Geneva 2000.
The events include a ceremony at the ILO building during the afternoon, as well as a solidarity concert at the Victoria Hall in the evening.
Details of the events :
14:55: ILO Building (Personnel Lounge). Celebration of the ratification of Convention No. 182 on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by Switzerland. In the presence of Swiss Authorities and approximately 200 children, including young activists of the Global March and students from various schools of Switzerland, France and Italy, Mr. Couchepin will formally hand over to Mr. Somavia the instrument of ratification. Mr. Couchepin and Mr. Somavia will make brief remarks. Mr. Couchepin will answer questions from the children on the issue of child labour;
15:25: ILO grounds. Mr. Couchepin, Mr. Somavia and the children will then move to the monument on the ILO grounds which is dedicated to the struggle against child labour. The children will sing the song, " Libérez les enfants" created by the children choir " L'Accroch'coeur" of Gardanne (France), and release 1 000 balloons into the air with the message " Libérez les enfants" and "Convention No. 182";
15:45: Ceremony concludes;
19:30-21:00: Victoria Hall, Geneva. There will be a solidarity concert performed by children and young adolescents, on the theme of the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. This event is organized by ILO in partnership with the Mission of the Government of Italy and the City of Geneva. It will be attended by Heads of States, members of governmental delegations and officials of UN agencies, NGOs, the Swiss Confederation, the Canton and Ville de Genève and the local business community. At this event:
- There will be speeches by Federal Counsellor Ruth Dreifuss, Mr. M. Tornare, Secretary-General of the Conseil d'Administration of the Ville de Genève, and ILO Director-General, Mr. Juan Somavia;
- A concert will be performed by the Suzuki Orchestra with the choirs of the Teatro Regio of the Conservatory of Turin;
- Students from the Scuola Media Chiasso, of Switzerland, will read poems they have written about child labour;
- The song, " Libérez les enfants", will be sung by the choir of the Collège G. Péri of Gardanne;
- The book "Stolen Childhood", prefaced by Federal Counsellor Ruth Dreifuss will be presented to the Representative of the UN Secretary General. "Stolen Childhood" is a photo-book on child labour, which has been published in English, French, Spanish, German and Italian.
Background on Convention No. 182
The new Convention on the worst forms of child labour has been ratified by more governments in its first year than any other ILO Convention during a comparable period of time, 27 as of today.
For more information, contact:
- Mrs. Alice Ouédraogo, Director for Policy Development
and Advocacy,
International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour
(IPEC)
, tel: 799-7108;
- Mrs. Maria Gabriella Lay, Manager of the project
"Global Campaign to Raise Awareness and Understanding on
Child Labour", IPEC, tel: 799-7731;
- Mr. Robert SanGeorge, Campaign Manager for Ratification
of Convention No. 182, IPEC, tel: 799-6074.