Netherlands and ILO cooperate to eliminate child labour in agriculture

Project will combat the worst forms of child labour in seasonal agriculture in Turkey. The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Netherlands Ministry for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation have signed a project cooperation agreement to contribute to the elimination of the worst forms of child labour in seasonal commercial agriculture in hazelnut harvesting in Turkey. A ceremony was held on 6 November 2012 at the ILO Office in Ankara where the project cooperation agreement was signed by Ms. Ümit Deniz Efendioğlu, Director of the ILO Office for Turkey, and H.E. Ms. Lilianne Ploumen, Netherlands Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. The project, in Ordu Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey, will be implemented jointly by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security of Turkey and the ILO. The project, which will run for 18 months, aims to develop a strategic intervention model with awareness raising, child labour monitoring, and strengthening local and national capacities. This will in turn contribute to reaching the targets of the Time Bound Policy and Programme Framework (2005-2015) for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour in Turkey by 2015, which is being coordinated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. The model will be sustained and scaled up in other sectors by ensuring active participation in project activities by the Government, social partners, civil society and the private sector.