ILO Policy Guidance and the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour
To supplement existing ILO Conventions such as the Minimum Age Convention (No. 138) and the Forced Labour Convention* (No. 29), new international labour standards which target the most intolerable forms of child labour have been addressed through the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention(C182), adopted in June, 1999.
Many countries have enacted laws addressing exploitative and hazardous forms of child labour in line with ILO Conventions and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. While considerable progress is being made in establishing national capacity for the enforcement of legislation, much remains to be done to come to grips with the intolerable forms of child labour in agriculture, small scale enterprises, the informal sector, domestic services, prostitution and other slavery like practices. Positive changes, however, are emerging. An increasing number of countries have ratified or have indicated their intention to ratify and apply ILO Conventions.
IPEC: Direct Action Support
The elimination of the most intolerable forms of child labour has been the focus of the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) since 1992. IPECs action against various intolerable forms of child labour now account for two thirds of its 700 action programmes operational in over 20 participating countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. These action programmes are implemented by a broad alliance of partners, including governments, workers and employers organizations, NGOs, the information media, academic institutions and other professional associations.
Expansion, consolidation and focus of IPEC
Action against child labour is largely a national responsibility and prerogative but the problem is a global issue demanding a concerted international response. IPEC continues to support, develop and implement national , sub-regional and regional programmes, giving top priority to the immediate eradication of the most intolerable forms of child labour, in particular:
- Bonded child labour
- Commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking in children;
- Child labour in domestic service;
- Child labour in hazardous work in commercial agriculture
- Child labour in dangerous industries, occupations and working conditions.
Operational framework
The expansion of IPEC action is foreseen in more than 20 countries – moving towards greater international solidarity and support of the expansion, consolidation and focus of IPEC action. World-wide exchanges of information and experience are being facilitated. IPEC plans to mobilise financial resources, approximately $20 million, between 1997 – 2001.
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Source: International Labor Organization
*Articles 1-25 of the ILO Forced Labour Convention (No. C29) are included on pp. 31-36 of this