Background and justification
The Workshop is a follow-up to the "Inter-Regional Conference for Employers on Sharing Experiences and Lessons Learnt" held in Istanbul, September 2007. The International Labour Organization (ILO) Bureau for Employers' Activities (ACT/EMP) and the Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations (TISK) jointly organized the Conference with the support of ILO International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). That conference had as its main objectives to:
- share information and experiences on combating child labour, particularly in the agricultural sector, where most child labour is found
- inspire employers to take action and to better enable employers' organizations
to design strategies and programmes aimed at addressing the problem in their respective countries
- highlight the gender dimension of child labour
A Joint Statement was adopted by the Conference, which highlighted that child labour was a serious concern that employers' organizations were committed to eliminate. It stated that sustainable social and economic development was not possible without full elimination of child labour and called upon governments, trade unions, other employers' organizations, civil society and the international community to cooperate in this common cause. The employers' organizations declared their commitment to raise awareness of child labour; advocate compliance with national and international laws on child labour; cooperate with national governments in developing and implementing elimination strategies at the national, regional and sectoral level, in particular towards the worst forms of child labour and promote education and health policies that support the lives and skills of children.
Conference objectives
The upcoming workshop in Baku, Azerbaijan aims to build on the outcomes of the Istanbul Conference with the following main objectives:
- To discuss child labour issues in the supply chain and the role of business and government;
- To assist employers' organizations to design and implement strategies and action plans aimed at
taking concrete action in addressing the problem.
Participants
The Conference is designed for decision-makers and technical personnel from employers' organizations. The following employers' organizations will be represented in the Conference:
| Azerbaijan | National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers') Organizations of Azerbaijan |
| Georgia | Georgian Employers' Association |
| Kazakhstan | Confederation of Employers of Kazakhstan |
| Kyrgyzstan | National Association of Commodity Producers of the Kyrgyz Republic |
| Moldova | The National Confederation of Moldovan Employers |
| Tajikistan | National Association of Small & Medium Businesses of the Republic of
Tajikistan |
| Turkey | Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations |
| Ukraine | Federation of Employers of Ukraine |
| Uzbekistan | Business Women's Association of Uzbekistan |
Representatives from the government labour inspection bodies, trade unions and business leaders of Azerbaijan will also be invited to attend the Workshop.
Programme contents
The two-day Workshop will include presentations and discussions on what employers and EO's can do in combating child labour. Particular attention will be paid to the Azerbaijan experience, and ASK will share their experiences and lessons learned since they joined the ILO ACT/EMP Programme on combating child labour. Leaders of some of ASK's member companies will speak on the problems they encounter in tackling child labour in the supply chain and what measures they have taken, and can take, to address the problem. Resource persons from the Moldovan and Turkish employers' organizations will also share their experiences on the same issues.
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