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Hope for a better life
The world unites against the worst forms of child labour
The prospects both for the ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) and Convention No. 182 on eliminating the worst forms of child labour have taken on a distinct shine in 2001. During the year, IPEC expanded to include nearly 100 partner countries while ratifications of Convention No. 182 have passed the 100 mark. Where are we now in this global campaign?
GENEVA - In the campaign against the worst forms of child labour, the recent 100th ratification of Convention 182 was a milestone. This, however, is only the beginning.
"The struggle against the evils of children being exploited in harmful work and the most debasing forms of slavery will not be won until Convention 182 is universally ratified," says Frans Roselaers, IPEC Director. "It will only be when all governments act to abide by the provisions and recommendations of the new Convention, adopted in June 1999, that real progress will begin. And, universal ratification is a realizable goal, not a pipe dream."
It is no coincidence that the Number One Good Practice advocated by IPEC in action against child labour is the forming of a national policy with clear objectives. No country can address the problem effectively until this - and overall support and protection for each child - are put in place.
So ratifying C. 182, which binds signatory governments to take immediate and effective action to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of child labour, obliges countries to enforce, sanction, monitor and cooperate internationally in order to deal with the problem.
A 100-country alliance
IPEC now leads an almost 100-country alliance of 70 states and 25 donors, managing a portfolio of active and planned projects totalling nearly US$200 million. This compares with one donor and six programmes when it was launched nine years ago in 1992. The projects operate in conjunction with major international organizations such as UNICEF, employers' and workers' organizations, and a large number of local NGOs. They embrace all five continents, including Europe.
By late October 2001, 104 nations had ratified Convention No. 182, with at least ten more signings expected within the next few months, including, significantly, those of several countries severely affected by child labour.
"The momentum is growing," Mr. Roselaers declared. "The motivation for more countries to ratify is building up. We're very optimistic."
In addition, the success of Convention 182 has led to a surge in ratifications of the Minimum Age Convention, No. 138 - 29 in the last two years, bringing the total to 113. The Director-General's efforts to have core Conventions ratified and his personal involvement in the fight against child labour plus the promotional efforts of the ILO InFocus Programme on the Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (IFP Declaration) have been key factors in this success.
These developments are mirrored by successes in the field.
In 2000, IPEC managed to boost delivery of operational programmes by 100 per cent, from US$11.5 million to US$22.8 million. More than US$30 million is expected for 2001 - another impressive growth rate. Efforts have also been made to ensure quality delivery of technical cooperation programmes with a range of improved procedures and monitoring systems. IPEC now has a total of 250 staff, some 75 per cent of whom are active in the field.
The way forward for action:
Time-Bound Programmes (TBPs)
Getting countries to commit to preventing and eliminating child labour within a predetermined and mutually agreed period of time is a new and ambitious IPEC objective and priority. The approach needs to be comprehensive and involve all the key players in a country. It also requires anchoring the fight against child labour firmly to the national development effort and allow a country to address the problem within the framework of international and national cooperation.
International, national, provincial and community organizations all contribute and participate, as do families and the children themselves. The main aim is to get these so-called Time-Bound Programmes (TBPs) to address the root causes of child labour, especially with economic and social policies to combat poverty and promote universal basic education.
The ILO can guide governments and social partners in their policy-making, provide technical cooperation and assistance, channel donor funds to the projects and act as a reliable partner and advocate for local organizations and families.
The first TBPs were launched at the International Labour Conference in June 2001 and will be carried out in El Salvador, Nepal and the United Republic of Tanzania. The three countries had originally made their pledge in May 2000, and a year of intensive planning and consultations followed.
Several more countries have expressed the wish to join the time-bound approach, among them Bangladesh, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mongolia, Philippines, Senegal and Thailand, demonstrating the level of trust that countries place in the ILO and its partners, and the validity of the approach.
Other countries asking to step up IPEC programmes are Egypt, India and Mexico. Egypt's commitment will be of significance to bringing in other Middle East countries, while India's long experience with child labour programmes will be invaluable for other IPEC undertakings around the world. Mexico is a completely new development in that there was virtually no IPEC activity there until recently.
Surveying the scene
The fight against child labour would be a lot more difficult if statistics on its prevalence could not be provided. Given the often hidden nature of child exploitation, especially domestic slavery, trafficking, and prostitution, this can be a decidedly difficult and thankless task. Nevertheless, IPEC's SIMPOC (Statistical and Information Monitoring Programme on Child Labour) has completed 11 country surveys since 1998, with 26 more underway, and eight more at the design stage. A nation-wide survey is currently being planned in India.
In addition, "Rapid Assessments" by SIMPOC have also made a major contribution to the knowledge base. A total of 38 have been carried out to date in 23 countries and will be published as part of the Global Report on Child Labour in 2002. Significantly, they will not only indicate the dimensions of the problem, but also the cost and benefits of eradicating it.
IPEC's knowledge base is now an unrivalled source of information and experience on the causes, prevalence and cures for child labour, making it not only a one-stop shop for child labour issues, but also an indispensable partner in the combat against this evil.
And the children themselves?
So how many children directly benefit from IPEC action? After all, at the end of the day, this is what really counts.
In the two years to October 2001, services were provided to over 311,000 girls and boys around the world, more than doubling the numbers reached during the previous period. The services range from simple provision of legal aid to withdrawal from work, and mainstreaming into formal education. Given that there are estimated to be over 250 million children around the world between the ages of five and 14 who work for a living, this might seem like a drop in the ocean. But, then, nobody ever said it was going to be easy. IPEC's challenge is to make a very big dent in that figure.
"The worldwide movement demonstrating indignation about the evils of child labour and the insistent requests of countries to receive assistance for their programmes to combat child labour indicate clearly that it must be done," says Frans Roselaers. "IPEC's experience so far and its methods and its tools and expertise prove that it can be done. It is a noble cause: to give a decent childhood to the young and vulnerable and to allow them to prepare for a decent adult working life."