Regional constituents examine good practices in combating child labour
Workshop brought together government, employer, worker and NGO representatives from the region to share knowledge on ways to tackle child labour.
(ILO News) - A workshop on ways to combat child labour in the Arab region concluded in Amman on Tuesday (April 19), with key stakeholders agreeing to build on the examples of good practices shared during the two-day event.
Hosted by the ILO with the support of the US Department of Labour, and in collaboration with national partners, the workshop brought together 45 participants from seven countries to share their diverse experience and knowledge on combating child labour.
Participants discussed good practices on government leadership, building knowledge of child labour, leveraging partnerships and implementing innovative models of intervention, as well as investing in youth and adjusting to crisis situations.
Employer, worker and government representatives as well as NGO officials from Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, the occupied Palestinian territory, Egypt and Tunisia attended the workshop.
The workshop presented Jordan’s achievements and good practices in tackling child labour in the past five years, while also highlighting the achievements made by other participating countries in combating child labour. The workshop also looked at how these examples can be replicated in various other contexts and countries in the region.
“As fragile situations continue to affect countries in the Arab States region, child labour, and other related issues such as trafficking are increasingly becoming regional issues,” said Snezhi Bedalli, Senior Desk Officer for Arab States, Europe and Central Asia. “Therefore, it is highly significant that seven countries from the region come together at this moment, not only to share their experiences on tackling child labour, but also to lay the foundation for developing a regional action plan.”
Child labour, while not high relative to the global average, remains an important policy concern in the Arab States.
Through its United States-funded ‘’Moving Towards a Child Labour Free Jordan’’ project, the ILO is working with national partners to implement the National Framework to Combat Child Labour. This has led to a number of achievements, including the development of a Child Labour Monitoring System and a database to serve as an information-sharing platform on child labour cases; creating effective tools for child labour inspections; linking child labour to youth employment; and broadening the core coalition to include new partners in tackling the issue in Jordan.
Hosted by the ILO with the support of the US Department of Labour, and in collaboration with national partners, the workshop brought together 45 participants from seven countries to share their diverse experience and knowledge on combating child labour.
Participants discussed good practices on government leadership, building knowledge of child labour, leveraging partnerships and implementing innovative models of intervention, as well as investing in youth and adjusting to crisis situations.
Employer, worker and government representatives as well as NGO officials from Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, the occupied Palestinian territory, Egypt and Tunisia attended the workshop.
The workshop presented Jordan’s achievements and good practices in tackling child labour in the past five years, while also highlighting the achievements made by other participating countries in combating child labour. The workshop also looked at how these examples can be replicated in various other contexts and countries in the region.
“As fragile situations continue to affect countries in the Arab States region, child labour, and other related issues such as trafficking are increasingly becoming regional issues,” said Snezhi Bedalli, Senior Desk Officer for Arab States, Europe and Central Asia. “Therefore, it is highly significant that seven countries from the region come together at this moment, not only to share their experiences on tackling child labour, but also to lay the foundation for developing a regional action plan.”
Child labour, while not high relative to the global average, remains an important policy concern in the Arab States.
Through its United States-funded ‘’Moving Towards a Child Labour Free Jordan’’ project, the ILO is working with national partners to implement the National Framework to Combat Child Labour. This has led to a number of achievements, including the development of a Child Labour Monitoring System and a database to serve as an information-sharing platform on child labour cases; creating effective tools for child labour inspections; linking child labour to youth employment; and broadening the core coalition to include new partners in tackling the issue in Jordan.