ILO/95/25
GENEVA (ILO News) - Budgetary adjustments, measures to promote ratification of fundamental ILO Conventions and the fate of the millions of child labourers worldwide are among the key issues to be addressed by members of the International Labour Office's Governing Body, in the course of its 264th Session in Geneva from 2 to 17 November.
The November Session takes place against a backdrop of unprecedented financial difficulty for the ILO, which is facing shortfalls in contributions from member States. A Working Party of the Governing Body was established in June in order to examine programme adjustments and seek ways to reduce expenditures for the 1996-97 Programme and Budget. It was agreed at that time that adjustments should focus on administrative and other costs and not on ILO's technical cooperation or field programmes. The Working Party, whose role is advisory, will submit its recommendations to the Programme, Financial and Administrative Committee on Wednesday, 8 November.
At previous sessions of the ILO Governing Body, a clear consensus has emerged among all three groups (employers, governments and workers) in favour of stepping up the promotion of fundamental ILO instruments. In response, the ILO Director General Michel Hansenne has undertaken a new initiative to promote these Conventions, and so far this is meeting with success. The promotion and defence of fundamental human and worker rights, particularly with respect to forced labour, child labour, freedom of association and discrimination, have long been a part of the ILO's work and is a priority theme in the 1996-97 biennium. Last May, the Director-General sent letters to 171 ILO member States concerning the ratification of seven Conventions: Forced Labour ( No. 29), Freedom of Association ( No. 87), Right to Collective Bargaining ( No. 98), Equal Remuneration ( No. 100), Abolition of Forced Labour ( No. 105), Discrimination ( No. 111) and the Minimum Age Convention ( No. 138).
Early results are encouraging, especially in light of the firm recommendation of the UN Social Summit that all countries ratify these ILO Conventions. Michel Hansenne said "only 23 of the 173 ILO member States have ratified all these Conventions. As a result of this campaign that number could be doubled or even tripled in the near
future." There are 47 further ratifications imminent and 46 other countries responded that work towards ratification was under way. The results of this initiative and further promotional efforts will be discussed in the Committee on Legal Issues and International Labour Standards on Friday, 10 November. The Director-General of ILO has indicated his intention to pursue this initiative in future Governing Body sessions.
Child labour will be examined on Tuesday, 7 November in the Committee on Employment and Social Policy as well as by the Governing Body in relation with the agenda of the 1998 International Labour Conference. A paper prepared by the Office will be presented for discussion. The paper notes that a 1990 ILO Bureau of Statistics survey covering 124 of the 205 countries and territories listed by the UN, found that nearly 80 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 were working. The figure, however, seriously understates the real number of working children. No precise number can be put on child labour, but what is sure is that the number of working children between the ages of 5 and 14 is enormous. In some countries, notably in Africa and Latin America, the problem has worsened in recent years due to such factors as rapid demographic growth, economic stagnation and inadequate educational systems. The ILO notes that "child labour, as it is sadly practised only too often, is far too demanding, grossly exploitative, an obstacle to education or proper training and dangerous to both health and morals. By allowing this state of affairs to continue, society today is wasting human resources that could be in short supply tomorrow."
Another grave problem is child slavery, which is prevalent in countries where debt bondage is practised, where poverty is extreme or where wars and other upheavals have destroyed communities and broken down family structures. ILO's supervisory bodies bear ample witness to the existence of child slavery today and the Organization estimates that the number of child slaves certainly runs into the tens of millions.
Experimental statistical surveys carried out with ILO assistance in several developing countries revealed that, on average, 25 per cent of children between the ages of 5 and 14 were engaged in some form of economic activity. The surveys also showed that rural children were almost twice as likely to be working as urban children. Nine out of ten working children in rural areas were engaged in agricultural or related activities. In urban areas, child labour is concentrated in trade and services, primarily domestic help, and to a lesser extent in manufacturing. For the most part, child labour consists of unpaid family workers. Three-quarters of all working children worked within the framework of a family-run enterprise (shops, farms, light manufacturing) whereas children employed outside the family as own-account workers or as wage earners were much fewer in number. Children employed in export sectors are relatively few compared with those employed in sectors geared essentially to satisfying domestic demand.
About one-half of all child workers are found in Asia, but in relative terms Africa comes first: on average, one child out of three is engaged in some form of economic activity. Though child labour is much less common in industrialized countries, it is on the increase in several.
The ILO has launched a vast technical cooperation programme known as the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) to assist countries having the will to work toward the elimination of child labour. Experience has shown that economic growth, though indispensable, does not automatically do away with the need for children from the poorest families to work. Legislation, though necessary, is not sufficient either. The ILO argues that "more than anything, it is through national action within countries' own frontiers that the situation can improve." A proactive, rather than a laissez-faire approach is needed, says ILO.
The Governing Body - composed of 28 government members, 14 employer members and 14 worker members - serves as the executive council of the ILO. It meets three times a year and takes decisions on ILO policy. Ten of the government seats are permanently held by major industrialized countries. The remaining seats are filled on a rotating basis, taking account of geographical distribution, for three-year terms. The employers and workers select their own representatives.
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