12 june 2007 - World Day Against Child Labour

To focus on elimination of child labour in agriculture

 

Thursday, 5 June 2007 (ILO/07/28)

GENEVA (ILO News) – This year’s World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June is to focus on the elimination of child labour in agriculture, which accounts for a staggering percentage of the world’s working children and is one of the most dangerous forms of work for children and adults like.

The ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) estimates that over 100 million boys and girls aged 5-14 work as child labourers on farms and plantations the world over, where they are often exposed to hazards and risks that run the gamut from the mixing, handling and applying of toxic pesticides to using dangerous cutting tools, to working in extreme temperatures and operating powerful farm vehicles and heavy machinery.

To strengthen the worldwide movement against child labour, the ILO is to launch a new partnership on 12 June with five international agriculture-based organizations: the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF).

The aim of this new partnership will be to develop common policies, programmes and activities at international and national levels against child labour in agriculture. These partner organizations will play an important role in working with ministries of agriculture, agricultural advisory services, research bodies and other offices involved in agricultural policy issues. It may also be expanded in the future to include other agricultural-based organizations.

The ILO stressed that not all children working in agriculture can be considered child labourers under the terms of ILO conventions No. 138 and No. 182 if they perform tasks appropriate to a child’s age and that are a normal part of growing up in a rural environment.

The World Day Against Child Labour is observed worldwide on or around 12 June each year. It serves as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labour.

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World Day Against Child Labour 2007 Events

In Geneva, the main event on 12 June, coincides with the ILO’s International Labour Conference and consists of the Signing Ceremony for the Declaration of Intent on Cooperation on Child Labour in Agriculture between the ILO, FAO, IFAD, IFPRI (CGIAR), IFAP, IUF launching the new global partnership. During this ceremony in the Palais des Nations the partner organizations will make statements supporting the Partnership. It is followed by a public event organised jointly with the City of Geneva and Le Respect on the Place des Nations with 500 schoolchildren releasing balloons in solidarity with the child labourers in agriculture all around the world. During the whole week of 11 June, the Eurest restaurants and bars in the ILO building will display the WDACL 2007 posters and distribute the postcards “Harvest for the Future: Agriculture without Child Labour” to its customers (sponsored by the Compass Group).

In Rome events organized jointly by the ILO Rome Office, FAO and IFAD are:

• on 11 June in the evening: Opera-Ballet Performance on Child Labour by the Ariston Proballet Sanremo Company at the at Teatro Olimpico, Roma organized by Mediascena Europa (co-sponsored by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, FAO, ILO, IFAD, and the Region of Lazio);
• on 12 June in the morning at the FAO “Child Labour in Agriculture” (FAO/IFAD/ILO organized event), followed by a press conference; in the afternoon an ILO-Rome/Ministry of Social Solidarity/Ministry of Labour and Social Security-organized Congress and Roundtable on Child Labour in Italy: Scenarios and New Challenges (organized at the FAO).

Around the world, numerous events, discussions and other activities are planned to mark the day and raise awareness on child labour in agriculture and the new global partnership. Activities include:

• Roundtables, forums, workshops, seminars, trainings with policy makers, trade unions, farmers, other UN organizations

• Press conferences, Radio and TV programmes, major awareness raising campaigns in the media, including stories of working children in newspapers,

• Children performing in drama, song and dance, marches of children wearing t-shirts and pins against child labour , drawing and essay competitions,

• Photo exhibitions, presentations of studies etc.

In more than 100 countries around the world, people are reminded that at least on this one day of the year, they should reflect on the fate of working children. Many of the activities are organized jointly with the new partner organizations and are located in major agricultural production districts.

For more information: www.ilo.org/ipec

 

 

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