Elimination of child labour in Türkiye
2024 Steering Committee Meeting held on eliminating child labour in hazelnut harvesting
Training aims enhancing the knowledge and awareness of Turkish Confederation of Employer Associations affiliated union leaders and experts on fundamental labour principles and rights, freedom of association, and the future of work.
26 December 2024
ANKARA (ILO News) - The 2024 Steering Committee Meeting for the "An Integrated Model for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Türkiye" and the " Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Türkiye" projects was held at the premises of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for Türkiye with the participation of relevant stakeholders and the contributions of social partners. The meeting discussed the project activities implemented so far and those planned for 2025, while gathering insights and recommendations from the social partners.
The meeting commenced with opening remarks by Yasser Hassan, Director of the ILO Türkiye Office; Suat Dede, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Labour at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security; Aldo Cristiano, Vice President of the Association of Chocolate, Biscuits & Confectionery Industries of Europe (CAOBISCO); and Stefano Severi, Responsible Sourcing Officer at Ferrero Hazelnut Company. Mr. Dede, Cristiano, and Severi participated in the meeting virtually.
Yasser Hassan, Director of the ILO Türkiye Office, highlighted the critical role of the valuable partnerships with CAOBISCO and FERRERO in achieving the goal of eliminating child labour in seasonal agriculture.
He emphasized that child labour has no place in well-functioning and well-regulated labour markets or supply chains.
He referred to the implementation of national programs, which resulted in reduction of child labour rates among children aged 5-17, and underlined the importance of providing free and quality basic education at least up to the minimum age for work, implementing strong laws and policies strategically linked to public services such as labour inspection and school enrolment monitoring, establishing effective social protection mechanisms, and creating decent work opportunities for parents as critical components in the fight against child labour.
Hassan said that “With redoubled efforts from governments, from employers and from workers’ organizations, and from enterprises, child labour in supply chains can be stopped”.
He further emphasized that Türkiye's designation as a Pathfinder Country under Alliance 8.7 reaffirms the country's strong commitment to addressing child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking.
Suat Dede, Deputy Director General of the General Directorate of Labour at the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, described Türkiye’s designation as a Pathfinder Country under Alliance 8.7 as a significant achievement. He also stated the necessity of strengthening collaboration with the private sector and enhancing public awareness to ensure the success of efforts to combat child labour.
Dede emphasized the need to steadfastly maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward child labour. He highlighted the importance of developing a new policy framework based on the impact analysis of completed national child labour programmes.
Aldo Cristiano, Vice President of CAOBISCO, stated that Türkiye’s designation as a Pathfinder Country under Alliance 8.7 strongly demonstrates its commitment, collaborative spirit, and institutional capacity in combatting child labour. Recalling the partnership with the ILO that began in 2013, Mr. Cristiano emphasized that the project establishes a solid foundation for Türkiye’s efforts to eliminate child labour and aims to create a long-term impact at the national level. He further highlighted that Türkiye’s initiatives serve as an international model and play a pivotal role in shaping global policies to eliminate child labour.
Stefano Severi, Responsible Sourcing Officer at Ferrero Hazelnut Company, highlighted that since 2013, Ferrero has contributed to eliminating the worst forms of child labour in seasonal agriculture in Türkiye through collaborative projects with the ILO and CAOBISCO. He noted that the scope of this collaboration has been further expanded through the public-private partnership project initiated in 2020 and renewed in 2024. Severi reaffirmed Ferrero's dedication to supporting human rights-focused practices by continuing to work collaboratively with all stakeholders.
During the meeting, Senior Project Coordinators Ayşegül Özbek Kansu and Mehmet Koray Abacı provided participants with detailed information about the projects, outlining their progress and the activities planned for the upcoming year.
The meeting also included valuable contributions from public institutions, social partners as well as other stakeholders.
About the Projects
"An Integrated Model for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Türkiye" project implemented in collaboration between the ILO Türkiye Office and CAOBISCO, was launched within the framework of ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour and Convention No. 138 on the Minimum Age. Initially piloted in Ordu in 2013 and now expanded to six provinces, the project aims to bring together public and private sector actors to prevent child labour in the hazelnut supply chain and to foster the exchange of experiences in this field.
" Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Türkiye" project has been implemented since 2020 in partnership with the ILO Office for Türkiye and FERRERO. This public-private partnership project involves the ILO's tripartite constituents (government, workers' and employers' organizations) and aims to share experiences in addressing child labour in the hazelnut supply chain. It also seeks to enhance the capacity of national and local stakeholders to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.