World Day Against Child Labour Focuses On Ag.

This year’s World Day Against Child Labour on June 12 is to focus on the elimination of child labour in agriculture, which accounts for a staggering percentage of the world’s working children and is one of the most dangerous forms of work for children and adults like.

The International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) estimates that over 100 million boys and girls aged 5-14 work as child labourers on farms and plantations the world over, where they are often exposed to hazards and risks that run the gamut from the mixing, handling and applying of toxic pesticides to using dangerous cutting tools, to working in extreme temperatures and operating powerful farm vehicles and heavy machinery.

To strengthen the worldwide movement against child labour, the ILO is to launch a new partnership on 12 June with five international agriculture-based organizations: the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF).

The aim of this new partnership will be to develop common policies, programmes and activities at international and national levels against child labour in agriculture. These partner organizations will play an important role in working with ministries of agriculture, agricultural advisory services, research bodies and other offices involved in agricultural policy issues. It may also be expanded in the future to include other agricultural-based organizations.

The ILO stressed that not all children working in agriculture can be considered child labourers under the terms of ILO conventions No. 138 and No. 182 if they perform tasks appropriate to a child’s age and that are a normal part of growing up in a rural environment.

The World Day Against Child Labour is observed worldwide on or around 12 June each year. It serves as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labour.

Promoting the Convention (No. 182) concerning the Prohibition and immediate action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999, is a high priority for the International Labour Organization (ILO.

ILO however, estimates that 246 million children between the ages of 5 and 17 currently work under conditions that are considered illegal, hazardous, or extremely exploitative. Underage children work at all sorts of jobs around the world, usually because they and their families are extremely poor. Large numbers of children work in commercial agriculture, fishing, manufacturing, mining, and domestic service.

ENDS

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