News
ILO held meetings with counterparts for the projects concerning elimination of worst forms of child labor in seasonal agriculture in hazelnut harvesting
24 June 2021
Content also available in:
Türkçe
ANKARA (ILO News) –As part of the World Day Against Child Labour events, International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for Turkey held a planning and coordination event in Ordu on 17 June 2021 to raise awareness on the ongoing projects concerning elimination of worst forms of child labour in seasonal agriculture in hazelnut harvesting in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The event brought together more than 70 representatives from central and provincial level of governmental bodies in 7 provinces of the Black Sea region and Pikolo Association, ILO’s local implementing partner.
In the event, the opening speeches were delivered by Numan Özcan, Director, ILO Office for Turkey, Nurcan Önder, General Director of the Directorate General for Labour of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and Zafer Karamehmetoglu, Deputy Governor of Ordu.
The two projects implemented by the ILO Office for Turkey and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MoLSS) are carried out under ILO Turkey’s public-private partnership framework. “Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labor in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Turkey” project through the support provided by FERRERO covers Trabzon, Zonguldak and Sanliurfa provinces while the project “An Integrated Model for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Turkey” covers Ordu, Giresun, Samsun, Sakarya, Duzce and Sanliurfa provinces through support provided by the Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe (CAOBISCO) and the Kingdom of Netherlands. The seven provinces covered by the two projects under ILO’s Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour in Turkey make up 90 percent of Turkey’s hazelnut production.
Prior to the event, representatives of ILO and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MoLSS) held meetings with local authorities in Trabzon, Giresun and Ordu to inform local officials about project activities as part of ILO’s Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour in Turkey, discuss the potential areas to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and highlight the importance of coordination among relevant stakeholders.
ILO team visited Ibrahim Buyuk, Provincial Director of MoLSS Trabzon Provincial Directorate to introduce the new project in Trabzon, and it was followed by a courtesy visit to Ismail Ustaoglu, the Governor of Trabzon. The team had a meeting with Pikolo Association and Hasan Sabir, board member of the Black Sea Exporters Association, to learn more about the dynamics of hazelnut harvesting in Trabzon and to map out strategies to address bottlenecks in combating child labor in the province.
In Giresun, ILO visited Enver Unlu, Governor of Giresun to provide an overview on ILO’s Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour in Turkey. The visit followed by meetings with Askin Toren, Mayor of Altinordu Municipality and Isa Kaymak, provincial director of MoLSS Ordu.
Both projects aim to reach out working children/and children at risk of child labour for providing them education and childcare services in social support centers/and schools to contribute to their social development as well as ensure continuation of their education. Additionally, these projects will also provide counselling for seasonal agricultural worker family members to avoid child labor practices at family level. The projects will strengthen coordination mechanisms across institutions for the elimination of child labor in seasonal agriculture in hazelnut harvesting. Both projects build on the successful experiences demonstrated in the projects that have been carried out collaboratively by ILO for Turkey and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security since 2012 in the Black Sea region.
In the event, the opening speeches were delivered by Numan Özcan, Director, ILO Office for Turkey, Nurcan Önder, General Director of the Directorate General for Labour of the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Labour and Social Security, and Zafer Karamehmetoglu, Deputy Governor of Ordu.
The two projects implemented by the ILO Office for Turkey and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MoLSS) are carried out under ILO Turkey’s public-private partnership framework. “Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labor in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Turkey” project through the support provided by FERRERO covers Trabzon, Zonguldak and Sanliurfa provinces while the project “An Integrated Model for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Turkey” covers Ordu, Giresun, Samsun, Sakarya, Duzce and Sanliurfa provinces through support provided by the Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe (CAOBISCO) and the Kingdom of Netherlands. The seven provinces covered by the two projects under ILO’s Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour in Turkey make up 90 percent of Turkey’s hazelnut production.
Prior to the event, representatives of ILO and the Ministry of Labor and Social Security (MoLSS) held meetings with local authorities in Trabzon, Giresun and Ordu to inform local officials about project activities as part of ILO’s Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour in Turkey, discuss the potential areas to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders and highlight the importance of coordination among relevant stakeholders.
ILO team visited Ibrahim Buyuk, Provincial Director of MoLSS Trabzon Provincial Directorate to introduce the new project in Trabzon, and it was followed by a courtesy visit to Ismail Ustaoglu, the Governor of Trabzon. The team had a meeting with Pikolo Association and Hasan Sabir, board member of the Black Sea Exporters Association, to learn more about the dynamics of hazelnut harvesting in Trabzon and to map out strategies to address bottlenecks in combating child labor in the province.
In Giresun, ILO visited Enver Unlu, Governor of Giresun to provide an overview on ILO’s Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour in Turkey. The visit followed by meetings with Askin Toren, Mayor of Altinordu Municipality and Isa Kaymak, provincial director of MoLSS Ordu.
Both projects aim to reach out working children/and children at risk of child labour for providing them education and childcare services in social support centers/and schools to contribute to their social development as well as ensure continuation of their education. Additionally, these projects will also provide counselling for seasonal agricultural worker family members to avoid child labor practices at family level. The projects will strengthen coordination mechanisms across institutions for the elimination of child labor in seasonal agriculture in hazelnut harvesting. Both projects build on the successful experiences demonstrated in the projects that have been carried out collaboratively by ILO for Turkey and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security since 2012 in the Black Sea region.