At the initiative of ECLT Foundation, an international conference on child labour in agriculture, will be organized in early 2012. The Government has formed a Task Force to support the organization of this conference. Representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations form part of this, as Government recognizes them as crucial partners without whose efforts the fight against child labour cannot be won. To ensure effective coordination among and participation of all relevant agriculture and labour stakeholders, it is recommended that the Task Force include representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, sectoral agricultural workers’ organizations and agricultural producers’ organizations.

ILO-IPEC will support ECLT in the policy and research initiatives leading up to the conference. These will be vital in ensuring that the conference leads to increased efforts to tackle child labour in agriculture, including in tobacco growing, farming, fishing and livestock, led by the Government of Malawi and in support of the NAP and its agricultural component.

Immediate objectives

1. Immediate Objective 1: The development process of the agriculture component of the National Action Plan against child labour is strengthened by: Supporting implementation of selected activities; strengthening collaboration and capacity of key agriculture and other relevant stakeholders.
2. Immediate Objective 2: Preparation of the Conference is supported; National stakeholders of the agriculture sector are consulted and mobilised in support of the Conference objectives.