The August 2010 edition of the World of Work, the regular magazine of the International Labour Organization (ILO), focuses on the fight against child labour and reviews the main findings of the 2010 ILO Global Report on Child Labour “Accelerating action against child labour” as well as the key outcomes of the Global Conference on Child Labour held in The Hague in May 2010.
The feature article is written by ILO-IPEC Director Ms Constance Thomas and looks back on some of the main achievements in the global effort to eliminate and prevent child labour, but also acknowledges that significant challenges remain if the ILO and its member States are to achieve the goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016. This review and analysis is very timely in light of the forthcoming Millennium Development Goal Summit being held at the UN headquarters in New York from 20 to 22 September 2010. It also reinforces the Global March campaign on the MDG Summit which calls for the mainstreaming of child labour into the MDG review process, in particular through the establishment of child labour indicators for each of the eight Goals.
Ms Thomas emphasises that the ILO’s leadership in keeping up the momentum for the elimination of child labour is critical and Global March and its members look forward to working with the ILO and IPEC in this endeavour, particularly as regards the reference to the need to extend and reinforce coalitions. To date, there has been insufficient investment, including of financial resources, in mobilising, strengthening and unifying the worldwide movement and Global March is looking forward to working with the ILO and other stakeholders in fulfilling this vital strategic goal, particularly in the light of the Roadmap adopted at the Global Conference in The Hague.
Ms Thomas ends her article with a clarion call to the international community on the eve of the MDG Summit when she states: “Most child labour is rooted in poverty. The way to tackle the problem is clear. We must ensure that all children have the chance to go to school, we need social protection systems that support vulnerable families – particularly at times of crisis – and we need to ensure that adults have a chance of decent work. These measures, combined with effective enforcement of laws that protect children, provide the way forward.”
Global March fully endorses this statement, but it is important to keep in mind that the international community has known what is required to tackle child labour for many years. The challenge remains in mainstreaming child labour across related development frameworks, particularly the MDGs, and across policies, programmes and resources. It is time to move on from what is already known to taking practical, well-resourced, inclusive, coherent and effective action, linked to Roadmap 2016 and National Action Plans on child labour, and to fulfilling commitments to the millions of children in child labour today and the millions who may still be affected tomorrow unless we act now.
To download a copy of the World of Work, August 2010, which includes a photo essay by Ms Elaine Moore, a journalist based in Cambodia, and ILO photographer Mr Marcel Crozet, click here. Please note that the magazine is available in a range of other languages from the ILO.
To download a copy of the ILO 2010 Global Report on Child Labour in different languages, click here
To download a copy of the Roadmap for Achieving the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2016 in English, French and/or Spanish, click here |
