First ILO/ACERWC joint training to improve child rights in Africa

The ILO and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC) shaped a training platform to effectively engage the constituents, facilitate partnerships and networking for advocacy around children’s rights in Africa.

Background  

The African Charter on the Rights and the Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) spells out the rights that African countries must ensure for their children, and it is the main instrument of the African human rights system for promoting and protecting child rights. It was the first regional treaty to address child rights.

Article 15 of the ACRWC addresses the issue of child labor. Sub Article 1 of these provisions states that:

 
Every child shall be protected from all forms of economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s physical, mental, spiritual, moral, or social development
The Article obliges Member States to the ACRWC to take all appropriate legislative and administrative measures to ensure the full implementation of the provisions of the Charter concerning child labor. Moreover, while implementing the provisions of such Article, Members States shall have regard to the relevant provisions of the International Labour Organization’s instruments relating to children.

Objectives

The First Joint training on ILO Conventions and Recommendations on Child Labour for the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACERWC)  was held at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The main objectives of this new session are to reflect on ILO instruments on child labour and worst forms of Child labour and develop strategic areas of collaboration between ACERWC and ILO to improve child rights in Africa.

Discussions will highlight the root causes (including cultural and economic) for child labour in Africa and the challenges to implement the provisions of ILO Convention and the Charter in Africa.

ILO Conventions Nos.138 & 182 as well as Recommendations and good practices (legislation / practice) will be showcased.

Facts and figures

  • The latest ILO Global estimation and trends on child labour 2012, pinpointed a progress during 2008-2012. The overall number of child labourers aged 5-17 years decreased by 47 million, from 215 to 168 million, over this period worldwide.
  • A reduction was also observed in the number of children in hazardous work from 115 million in 2008 to 85 million in 2012.
  • In Sub-Saharan Africa there has been a decrease of number of child labours (5 to 17 years old) from 65 million to 59 million from 2008 to 2012. However, it is still the region with the highest incidence, 21.4 per cent.

Expected outcomes

  • To start a process of building ACERWC’s capacity and knowledge base in exercising its mandates (namely consideration of State Party Reports, individual complaints, and investigative missions) in the area of child labour, through a better understanding of ILO Convention Nos.138 & 182 and the linkages with article 15 of ACERWC.
  • To avoid divergence of interpretation and duplication of efforts for African Union and ILO Member States
  • To formulate proposals to ensure a better collaboration between both Committees including sharing monitoring techniques as well as information and knowledge.