Curtain falls as the 5th Global Conference of the Elimination of Child Labour adopts a six-point plan to eliminate child labour
The 5th Global Conference of the Elimination of Child Labour today closed with the adoption of ‘Durban Call to Action’ to deal with the scourge of child labour.
Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi said the message has been clear: “unless governments pass the necessary legislation. Unless governments and business accept that we need structural change to the economy, child labour will not be eliminated. It must not be about profit, but also about people at the centre. It will also be an oversight on our part not to recognise children’s voices”.
Nxesi said the challenge was how does the conference consolidate the gains made to benefit the vulnerable, “so that we do not go back. How do we strengthen basic education, provide kids with necessary transport, provide a meal a day and ensure children have access to social protection?”
Presenting the Durban Call to Action six-point plan Department of Employment and Labour Director-General Thobile Lamati said the drafting committee had worked day and night to come up with a collective document.
He said in doing its work the drafting committee after having gone through inputs decided that the ‘Call to Action’ should focus on:
- Accelerating multi-stakeholder efforts to prevent and eliminate child labour with priority given to the worst forms of child labour by making decent work a reality for adults and youth above the minimum age for work and;
- End Child labour in agriculture;
- Strengthen the prevention and elimination of child labour including its worst forms, forced labour, modern slavery and trafficking in persons and the protection of survivors through data driven and survivor informed policy and pragmatic responses;
- Realise children’s right to education and ensure universal access to free compulsory, quality, equitable and inclusive education and training;
- Achieve universal access to social protection; and
- Increase financing and international co-operation for the elimination of child labour and forced labour.
The 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour follows Oslo, The Hague, Brasilia and Buenos Aires. The conference brought together ministers, national agencies, international and civil society organisations, businesses, children and academic institutions. The participants had gathered in Durban, South Africa to discuss measures to prevent and eliminate child labour and forced labour.
Delegates discussed subjects ranging from prevalence of child labour in agriculture; the formalisation of the informal economy and the creation of decent work; the need for additional resources and targeted policies addressing the root causes of child labour; the challenge of COVID-19 eventually reverting years of progress in the fight against child labour; forced labour and child trafficking; supply chains and child labour.
For more information contact:
Mokgadi Pela
Acting Departmental Spokesperson
082 808 2168
mokgadi.pela@labour.gov.za
