ILO ACCEL Africa supports the Malawi Alliance 8.7 Strategic Planning Workshop

Malawi agreed on a voluntary basis to become an Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder country hence committing itself to move faster to reach SDG Target 8.7, through accelerating efforts, adopting new approaches and collaborating with others. It becomes one of 26 countries to attain such a status.

Press release | 24 October 2022
George Okutho, Country Office Director, CO-Lusaka
Malawi, September 28, 2022--The International Labour Organization project, the Accelerating action for the elimination of child labour in Global supply chains in Africa (ACCEL Africa) in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour organized the National Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder Country Strategic Planning Workshop in Lilongwe together with multi-stakeholders. The workshop brought together over 60 delegates from UN agencies, government ministries, employer bodies, trade unions, and civil society.

Minister of Labour, Vera Kamtukule, during her keynote address as the guest of honour said ‘without a collaborative commitment from respective stakeholders in fighting child labour, forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking, attainment of the SDG 8.7 will be unrealistic’.

She underscored the need for sensitization and raising awareness by saying "People out there don't know, and it is the responsibility of us the stakeholders seated here to take the word out to them. We need to take the message to them, because if women in rural areas don't understand issues of child labour and forced labour, then it will be us failing because it's them and their children working on the ground." 
Minister of Labour, Vera Kamtukule

The Alliance 8.7 is a global partnership of key stakeholders including countries, international and regional organizations, research centers and civil society organizations who have committed to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, child labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking by 2025. Malawi agreed on a voluntary basis to become an Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder country hence committing itself to move faster to reach SDG Target 8.7, through accelerating efforts, adopting new approaches and collaborating with others. It becomes one of 26 countries to attain such a status.

Hence Malawi as a Pathfinder Country, commits to i) Ratify and domesticate other relevant international labour standards on child and forced labour ii) Finalise the national child labour/forced policy iii) Review the National Action Plan on Child Labour to take into account the findings from the Committee of experts Review and update the hazardous child labour list iv) Adopt and implement school-to-work transition program allowing disadvantaged young people access education, skills and quality jobs v) Take action on national social protection policy, including the development or revision of existing social protection policies and programs to include and/or better protect victims of child labour and forced labour and their families.

‘This workshop comes at an important time following the Durban call to action – the resolution of the Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour held in Durban, South Africa in May 2022.’ Said the ILO Director for Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique.

The Durban Call to Action on the elimination of child labour re-affirms the global commitment on the elimination of child labour by putting forward 6 priority areas namely: decent work for all, access to education, child labour in agriculture, expansion of social protection, data-driven, and survivor-informed policymaking, and finance.

He concluded by congratulating the Government o Malawi (GoM) for organizing the Alliance 8.7 Strategic Planning Workshop and reaching this milestone as a pathfinder country and further called stakeholders to join hands and make the dream of eradicating forced labour, child labour, ending modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour a reality for our children.

Mrs. Jacqueline Mpanyula representing the IOM chief of mission reiterated how the need for joint collaboration among stakeholders is crucial, along with the identification of national priorities in line with the National Action Plan on Child Labour, the National Plan of Action Against Trafficking in Persons and the National Strategy on Ending Child Marriage and overall, the SDG target 8’. She further indicated IOM remains committed to supporting and addressing the priorities set out by the government such as the roadmap being developed.

The workshop brought together over 60 delegates from UN agencies, government ministries, employer bodies, trade unions, and civil society
The workshop resulted in the development of a National Roadmap on Alliance 8.7., a guide that will inform the next steps in the elimination of child labour by the government of Malawi and all stakeholders including donors.

The ILO support to countries translates into efforts under its development cooperation program. The ACCEL Africa project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands to end child labour in selected supply chains that include tea and coffee in Malawi. Hence, the workshop is expected to make a significant contribution towards SDG target 8.7 and the project goal of ending child labour.