Technical Consultation on Alliance 8.7

The workshop aims at providing information on Alliance 8.7, building commitments and discussing possible next steps to make Alliance 8.7 operational in Nepal.

The workshop aims at providing information on Alliance 8.7, building commitments and discussing possible next steps to make Alliance 8.7 operational in Nepal.

Building on the momentum generated by the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Alliance 8.7 brings together representatives of governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, UN agencies, other development partners, private sector, civil society organizations, academia, experts, media and other actors to join forces in achieving Target 8.7 to end forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour.

Objectives:

The workshop will bring together representatives from key stakeholders, including the Government of Nepal, Workers' and Employers’ Organisations, International Non-Governmental Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations, development partners, the private sector, academia, experts and the media to:

·         Develop a common understanding of Alliance 8.7;

·         What it means to be a "Pathfinder Country" and consolidate commitments;

·         Provide a tripartite plus forum to identify key priority areas and to develop a concrete roadmap for the operationalization of Alliance 8.7 in Nepal.

Background

Alliance 8.7

In September 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 17 interrelated goals and 169 associated targets to guide global development. SDG 8.7 calls on governments to: "Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms."

The Alliance 8.7 is a global coalition that brings together those working towards the elimination of forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour. Launched in New York in September 2016, the Alliance sets out to be inclusive, involving the governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, UN agencies, regional organizations, partners for development, the private sector, civil society organizations, academia, experts, the media and other actors supporting the aims of SDG 8.7.

The aim of the Alliance is to improved coordination and collaboration, ensure that duplication of efforts by different stakeholders is avoided, and that funding is channelled towards proven practices for replication and scale.

Alliance 8.7 in Nepal

The Government of Nepal has demonstrated its political commitment to the ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work by ratifying seven out of eight ILO core conventions, which include all four conventions on child labour and forced labour.

In addition, the Government of Nepal has made significant achievements in strengthening the legal framework and the enabling environment for the achievement of SDG 8.7:

·         Restrictions on the labour activities of children under the age of 16 outlined in the Child Labour Act (2000);

·         Adoption of the Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act (2007) and the Chapter on Human Trafficking and the General Code of 1963.

·         Adoption of a National Child Policy (2012);

·         The Adoption of the Kamaiya Labor (Prohibition) Act (2012);

·         The right to free and compulsory education up to the elementary level and free education up to the secondary level guaranteed in the new Constitution (2015);

·         Inclusion of a Forced Labour module in the Labour Force Survey III (2018);

Lastly, there are many networks of organizations working on child labour, forced labour and trafficking such as: the Inter Agency Working Group (IAWG) on Elimination of Child Labour; the National Action & Coordinating Group (NACG-Nepal) to End Violence against Children; the Alliance Against Trafficking In Woman And Children In Nepal (AATWIN); and the Forced Labour Elimination Advocacy Group (FLEAG).

Taking into consideration Nepal’s past initiatives and achievements in relation to ending child labour, forced labour and trafficking, Nepal is well-placed to be a potential pathfinder country to accelerate achieving SDG 8.7.

See also: www.alliance87.org