GENEVA (ILO News) - Amidst calls for the abolition of child labour and the strengthening of fundamental human rights in the workplace, the 86 th annual International Labour Conference (ILC) got underway in Geneva today in the company of hundreds of marchers for whom the ILC was the final destination in a Global March that has crossed over 100 countries this year.
Chanting slogans and waving banners, the marchers were invited into the Assembly Hall of the UN Palais des Nations where they were greeted by a standing ovation from the delegates representing governments, workers and employers from the ILO's 174 member States.
The marchers earlier were received at ILO headquarters by Director-General Michel Hansenne, who said "You are far from your homes, but you have a home here. We are going to develop some tools which can be used by everyone wishing to bring an end to child labour."
One of the major agenda items of this year's Conference is the first discussion of a new international labour standard designed to eliminate the most extreme forms of child labour. According to the ILO, upwards of 250 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 work, many millions of them in activities that are debilitating for their physical, moral and mental development and future well being. The proposed labour standard targets such practices as heavy work in mines and quarries, child pornography and prostitution, bonded and forced labour and other activities such as work with dangerous chemicals and machinery.
Addressing the delegates, one of the main organizers of the Global March, Mr. Kailash Satyarthi, said that child labour was "a black spot on the face of humanity, one that must be removed."
At the opening plenary session, delegates elected Mr. Jean-Jacques Oechslin to serve as President of the Conference. He said to the assembled delegates and marchers that "the ILO was established to fight against inhuman labour conditions. The protection of children is one of the tasks which have been assigned to the ILO by its Constitution. It is therefore appropriate that you join us today in our common struggle against child labour. We have heard your message."
Following his election earlier, he said that "this Conference will be devoted to finding ways to protect child labourers. Children represent the most vulnerable segment of our societies and we cannot tolerate their exploitation under any pretext whatsoever."
"This is a moral imperative for all of us. But neither can we forget that child labour represents a terrible waste of human resources. Children are the bearers of hope for our societies on the condition that they be educated and trained because people are the true wealth of nations," added Mr. Oechslin.
Other officers of the Conference chosen this morning include Mr. M. Mimuni, Minister of Employment and Social Affairs of Ghana to represent the Government group, Mr. M. Anand, of India, representing the employers' group and Mr. M. Itoh of Japan, representing the workers' group.