Elimination of child labour

Introduction

As many as 1 in 10 children worldwide are subjected to child labour, most commonly because they live in poverty and their family is forced to resort to any extra income they can receive. There may also be other reasons as well, such as the death or the incapacitation of the primary earner, or loss of a parent or relative’s job. 

Child labour often involves dangerous conditions and hours that are taxing on a child’s physical and mental health. The physically demanding nature of it can lead to injuries, illnesses, and even death. It can also limit a child’s freedoms, as the labour can prohibit them from attending school or healthcare facilities. By not being able to go to school, children cannot break out of the cycle of poverty that has most likely driven them to need to work in the first place.

A large component of the problem of child labour is the issue of human trafficking. Refugees and migrants are particularly at risk, escaping their native country due to war, political instability or other dangers; especially if they are travelling alone or crossing through unfamiliar territory. Girls face the risk of sexual exploitation as well as being forced into labour, and boys can be taken advantage of by military forces. 

Child labour is most common in the agricultural and textile industries, which require long and hard hours to fill the demand for workers. Children are employed over adults because companies are required to pay them less, therefore reducing their operational costs. 

Child labour does not include children working in a job to earn a small wage during school holidays and after school, or helping out with domestic tasks or in a family business. These can often have useful benefits to a child’s development, such as social skills and communication, as well as practical and specific lessons to develop a skill set. 

Definitions of Key Terms

Child labour - when a child, below 15 years of age, is subjected to work that deprives them of their childhood, often in conditions that are dangerous, and even fatal, to their mental and physical health. It is done in combination or place of education, and restricts their ability to learn due to dangerous consequences.

UNICEF - United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, responsible for protecting the rights of, and providing humanitarian aid to children worldwide. 

Human Trafficking - the transportation, transfer or harbouring of people through force or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit through labour or services.

ILO - International Labour Organisation, a UN agency that protect the rights of workers by setting international working standards.

PACE: Partnership Against Child Exploitation - a group of NGOs and programmes working together across 3 African countries to end child exploitation. 

Background information

Early forms of child labour have existed since the development of farming techniques, as families would need as many hands as possible to work the land and extract as much profit as they could. Though fewer children are exploited in family farming today, the jobs in which they do remain similar, and have expanded to a broader range of physically demanding tasks that have developed with technology and globalisation. 

The origins of child labour could be traced back to the transatlantic slave trade, in which 10-12 million enslaved Africans were transported to the Americas from the 16th to 19th century. Though circumstances widely varied, enslaved children, or children of existing slaves, worked either in the fields or in the homes of the slave owners. As well as this, industrial revolutions, starting in the 19th century, saw children employed in factories to crawl inside broken machines and fix them. Factory owners justified the work by saying they provided food and shelter, though the standards of such were far below satisfactory or sanitary. 

Today, child slavery and labour is a prevalent issue in all countries, but mostly those that face higher levels of poverty and armed conflict. Sub-Saharan Africa has 86.6 million child labourers, more than any other area of the world. The labour that children are required to do covers several different industries and tasks, such as sewing and making clothes in sweatshops, agricultural labour and herding livestock, and unorganised sectors of industries, like the one in India for example. Here, children work as errand boys, personal servants, digging through rubbish to find things to sell, breaking apart scrap metal and many other things. You may be surprised to know that huge brands such as Hershey’s, Adidas and Primark have faced allegations of child labour, and some multimillion dollar corporations still use it today, despite their global influence and pledges against such things. 

Thankfully, steps taken over the last two decades have improved the situation of child labour, as stated by the ILO: ‘From 2000 — when the ILO began monitoring this issue — to 2016, the number of children exploited fell by 94 million, a dramatic global reduction. However, the decline slowed between 2012 and 2016, and global progress was stagnant between 2016 and 2020 — the most recent reporting period.’ Though the numbers have fallen, there is still more that can be done to help children forced to labour.

This topic is one that needs to be addressed and recognised as it threatens millions of children around the world. Some of the things children are forced to do whilst trying to survive are vile and immoral. Unlike adults, who may be more adapted to or capable of working long hours or in difficult conditions, children are still developing, and need rights like education in order to learn and grow. By depriving them of such, the strain on their mental and physical health can be detrimental, and deprives them of the chance to better their situation in life. Child labour is dangerous and extortionate, and the extremes of it can lead to a shattered childhood and life taken too soon. By debating this issue, hopefully potential solutions can be brought to light, and steps taken to improve the lives of countless innocent children worldwide.

Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue and Possible Solutions

1. Education and awareness - in solving any problem or concern, education and awareness are vital in allowing people to hear the message and contribute to a solution. An example of this is the World Day Against Child Labour, held on 12th June 2023. It was established by the UN, and had the theme ‘Social Justice For All: End Child Labour’. Over the past few years, the awareness about child labour has increased, and so has the attempts to solve the issue by addressing its roots. This allows parents and adults to become more sensitive to the situation, and also realise the extent to which it may threaten their children.

2. Establishment of organisations - this allows dedicated bodies of individuals and companies to contribute towards actions that can help alleviate the problem of child labour. The organisations have specific goals in mind, and can focus on one issue without feeling the need to spread resources and people over several different areas they want to improve. The wider stretch these schemes have, the more children and areas can be accessed and helped. Examples of programmes and organisations include the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), Love146, and Save the Children. Further information about any of these organisations, and others that are committed to fighting child labour, can be found by the links below or on their websites.

   1. IPEC: https://www.ilo.org/ipec/programme/lang--en/index.htm

   2. Love146: https://love146.org/

   3. Save the Children: https://www.savethechildren.org.nz/our-work/around-the-world/child-labour/

   4. PACE: https://www.pace-consortium.org/

   5. Others: https://www.humanrightscareers.com/issues/organizations-end-child-labor/

3. Treaties and formal declarations of rights - formal legal documents and codes allow companies and authorities to be held responsible for any breaches of human and child rights. It means that there are consequences to both hold firms accountable, but also to deter employment of children from happening in the first place. Examples of some treaties can be found below.

Relevant UN Treaties, Resolutions and Reports

• ILO Minimum Age Convention (No. 138) (1973) 

https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ilo_code:C138

• ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No. 182) (1999)

https://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:12100:0::NO::P12100_ILO_CODE:C182

• Principle 5 of the UN Global Compact (2000)

https://unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/mission/principles/principle-5

• Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)

https://www.ohchr.org/en/human-rights/universal-declaration/translations/english

• The International Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)

https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/crc.pdf

Bibliography

https://www.theworldcounts.com/stories/child-labour-definition

https://www.unicef.org/protection/child-labour

https://ourworldindata.org/child-labor.

https://www.un.org/en/observances/world-day-against-child-labour

https://www.borgenmagazine.com/history-child-labor.

https://www.britannica.com/money/topic/transatlantic-slave-trade

https://www.worldvision.org/child-protection-news-stories/child-labor-facts

https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/hershey-lawsuit-re-child-labour-in-c%C3%B4te-divoire/

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/nov/19/jasonburke.theobserver

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5e1dd13d40f0b6115499f4d2/Effective-Approaches-Ending-Worst-Forms-Child-Labour-Fragile-Contexts.pdf

The Right for all Children to be vaccinated

Introduction

The topic of "The Right for All Children to Be Vaccinated" is a crucial issue on the Felsted Model United Nations (MUN) agenda. As part of UNICEF, this research report includes the most important vaccinations over time and the challenge of making important vaccinations accessible to everyone. The fundamental focus of this debate is the universal access to vaccines for children. UNICEF believes that children have this right regardless of their location, or wealth. The report will cover the definition of key terms, background information, stakeholders, relevant UN treaties, resolutions, and reports, previous attempts to solve the issue, and possible solutions.

Definition of Key Terms

• Vaccination: the administration of a vaccine to stimulate the immune system to develop immunity against a specific disease.

• Children's Rights: fundamental rights and freedoms to which all children are entitled, including access to healthcare.

• Universal Access: ensuring that every child has equitable access to vaccines regardless of their background.

• Herd Immunity: a form of indirect protection from infectious diseases that occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population is immune through vaccination, making the spread of the disease unlikely.

• Zero-dose children: children who do not receive any vaccines at all, are disadvantaged due to their location, as they often live in remote rural areas, urban slums, conflict-affected settings, and within migrant and refugee communities. 

• Immunisation: a process by which a person becomes protected against a disease through vaccination. This term is often used interchangeably with vaccination or inoculation.

Background Information

Massive vaccination campaigns, especially in Africa have raised awareness for the vaccination of children in underdeveloped countries. Since 2001, more than 750 million children have been vaccinated against measles through these campaigns. These numbers are still rising and a significant improvement has already been experienced. However, epidemics and pandemics are becoming more common in the world we live in today. This is due to global travel, urbanisation, climate change, increased human-animal contact, and a significant shortage of health workers. Global travel contributes to the spread of these diseases and makes it hard to contain an outbreak within one area. Immunisation therefore allows the innocent not to get infected by the spread of this disease. Already immunisation of children saves 4.4 million lives each year. Secondly, urbanisation is predicted to increase by 2050 with 66% of people living in urbanised settings. Most of this growth is expected to happen in Asia and Africa. As regions, they are finding it hard to develop their infrastructure, housing, sanitation, transport, and health care facilities. As this increases, there is a rise in people living in overcrowded and unhygienic environments, in which infectious diseases can thrive. Climate change is a heavy contributor to the spread of diseases, with changing weather patterns, and flooding. Regarding this, malaria and dengue fever are altered by the changing weather and are estimated to cause an additional 250,000 deaths.^2 Additionally, flooding allows waterborne diseases to spread. For example, recent floods in Nigeria, have led to a reported increase of chlorella infections. At least 13 government areas are experiencing a deadly cholera outbreak with more than 6,000 cases and a 4-5% case fatality ratio.. There is also a significant risk of zoonotic diseases spreading through human-animal contact. 

With the rise of all these problems, there is a greater incentive to vaccinate children. However, the problem lies in the accessibility, the cost of vaccinations, and the lack of education, which makes it hard for children to be vaccinated, regardless of the rights they have. In Africa, 1 in 5 children do not have access to life-saving vaccines. Measles is still the leading disease that can be easily prevented through vaccination but is not, due to inaccessibility. The introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963 prevented the deaths of 2.6 million people a year, mostly children (the figure was 128,000 in 2021, still too high but a significant reduction). Today 20 million people who would have otherwise been paralysed by polio – an achievement made possible through access to vaccines. 

However, it can not only be the geographical location of the children that disallows them from receiving vaccines. This is supported by the situation regarding the Covid-19 vaccine. Out of more than 9 billion vaccine doses produced, Africa has only received approximately 540 million (about 6 % of all COVID-19 vaccines, despite having 17 % of the world’s population) and administered 309 million doses. Less than 10 % of Africans are fully vaccinated. It is a moral argument, that the developed countries should help the less economically developed countries. Increasing immunisation is important for the whole world and benefits wealthy countries just as much. Without immunisation, the disease will mutate which can reduce the rate of effectiveness.

The right for young children to be vaccinated is a decision often made by their parents. Anti-vaccination leagues have led to many parents, especially in wealthier countries, to hesitate to vaccinate their children, thus leading to a lack of herd immunity. Especially the Measles Mumps and Rubella (MMR) Vaccine is a good example of this happening in the UK. Anti-vaccination Campaigns argued there was a relationship between vaccination and autism. Misinformation can lead parents to make harmful decisions for their children.^5

All data on child immunisation can be accessed here: 

https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-health/immunization/#status 

Timeline of Key Events

• 1796: Edward Jenner develops the smallpox vaccine, a milestone in vaccination history.

• 1984: The World Health Organization (WHO) establishes the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI).

• 2000: The United Nations launches the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including a goal to reduce child mortality.

• 2015: Adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Goal 3, "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages."

• Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (2000): Gavi is an international organization dedicated to improving access to vaccines in low- and middle-income countries. It has played a significant role in expanding immunisation programs and increasing vaccine availability.

• Introduction of New Vaccines: The development and introduction of new vaccines, such as the polio vaccine, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, and more recently, vaccines for COVID-19, have been pivotal in protecting children from preventable diseases.

• Vaccine Diplomacy (Various): The global sharing of vaccines, often referred to as "vaccine diplomacy," has gained attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nations, international organisations, and pharmaceutical companies have made efforts to distribute vaccines to ensure worldwide access.

• 2021: World Health Organization recommends Malaria Vaccine: The World Health Organization recommends RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine for children in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission. The vaccine was tested in a pilot study in three African nations: Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. Over 800,000 children participated in that pilot study. 

Stakeholders

Stakeholders in the effort to ensure the vaccination of all children include:

• United Nations (UN): Agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF work to promote and facilitate global vaccination campaigns.

• National Governments: Responsible for developing and implementing vaccination policies and programs.

• Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs): Organisations like Doctors Without Borders and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, contribute to vaccine distribution and education.

• Pharmaceutical Companies: Produce vaccines and play a significant role in vaccine supply and pricing.

• Parents and Communities: Influence vaccine uptake and may have concerns or hesitations regarding vaccination.

• Children themselves: They are the ones being vaccinated and should be considered when making this choice.

Relevant UN Treaties, Resolutions, and Reports

• United Nations Millennium Declaration (2000): Commits to reducing child mortality by improving access to essential healthcare services, including immunisation.

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• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (2015): Goal 3, "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages," specifically targets universal vaccination access.

• World Immunisation Week (April 24-30): This is an annual event organised by the WHO to promote the use of vaccines to protect people of all ages. It often highlights the importance of childhood vaccination.

Previous Attempts to Solve the Issue

Previous efforts to ensure the vaccination of all children have included extensive vaccination campaigns, policy changes, and the development of new vaccines. These attempts have often been successful in increasing vaccination rates. However, challenges such as vaccine hesitancy, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, and socioeconomic disparities persist.

Polio eradication (GVAP, Polio Endgame Strategy 2019–2023)

Interrupt transmission of all wild poliovirus by 2020. 

Stop circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks within 120 days of detection

Certify eradication by 2023.

Neonatal tetanus elimination (GVAP)

Eliminate neonatal tetanus in the remaining 40 countries by 2015.

Measles and rubella elimination (GVAP, Global Measles and Rubella Strategic Plan 2012–2020) 

Eliminate measles in at least five WHO regions by 2020. 

Eliminate rubella in at least five WHO regions by 2020. 

Cholera control (Ending Cholera – A Global Roadmap to 2030)

Reduce cholera deaths by 90% by 2030, as well as the spread of misinformation about vaccines.

Elimination of viral hepatitis as a major public health threat (Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis 2016–2021) 

Reduce new cases of chronic viral hepatitis B infections by 95% by 2030 (equivalent to 0.1% prevalence for HBsAg among children). Reduce viral hepatitis B deaths by 65% by 2030. 

Control of vector-borne diseases (including Japanese encephalitis) (Global Vector Control Response 2017–2030) 

Reduce mortality due to vector-borne diseases by at least 75% by 2030.

Reduce case incidence due to vector-borne diseases by at least 60% by 2030.

Prevent epidemics of vector-borne diseases in all countries by 2030. 

Elimination of yellow fever epidemics (Eliminate Yellow Fever Epidemics)

Reduce yellow fever outbreaks to zero by 2026.

Elimination of meningitis epidemics and reduction of cases and deaths (Global Roadmap to Defeat Meningitis)

Eliminate meningitis epidemics by 2030.

Reduce the number of cases and deaths from vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis by 2030.

Reduce disability and improve quality of life after meningitis due to any cause by 2030. 

Reduction of seasonal influenza burden (Global Influenza Strategy 2019–2030) 

Zero deaths from dog-mediated rabies by 2030 (Zero by 30: The Global Strategic Plan

Reduce the number of deaths from dog-mediated rabies to zero by 2030.

Future solutions proposed by the UN Immunization Agenda:

Immunization Agenda 2030: IA2030 is based on a conceptual framework of seven strategic priorities. Each strategic priority has defined goals and objectives and key areas of focus. Action is necessary to achieve these interrelated strategic priorities to realise the overall vision and goals and to ensure that immunisation fully contributes to stronger primary health care and the attainment of universal health coverage.

Main areas of focus:

Immunisation programmes for primary health care and universal health coverage

• To ensure that sustainable immunisation programmes are an integral part of the national primary health care strategies and operations and of national strategies for universal health coverage

Commitment & demand

• Ensure that key stakeholders advocate for greater commitment to immunisation programmes. Encourages leaders to prioritise immunisation in strategic and operational planning and in policy, fiscal and legislative instruments. Realise the importance of national immunisation technical advisory groups (NITAGs)

Coverage & Equity

• To protect everyone by full immunisation, regardless of location, age, socioeconomic status or gender-related barriers.

Life-course & Integration

• To raise awareness of the benefits of vaccination beyond early childhood, through adolescence and in priority adult groups such as pregnant women, health workers and older adults.

Outbreaks & Emergencies

• Ensure preparation for, detection of and rapid, high-quality response to vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks.

Supply & Sustainability

• To ensure that all countries have a reliable supply of appropriate and affordable vaccines of assured quality and sustainable financing for immunisation programmes.

Research & Innovation

• To keep developing new vaccines and technologies, and improve existing products and services for immunisation programmes.

In conclusion, the right for all children to be vaccinated is not only a matter of public health but also a fundamental human right. Addressing the disparities in vaccination rates and ensuring universal access to vaccines for children is a global responsibility that requires coordinated efforts from various stakeholders, from governments and NGOs to communities and individuals. This research report serves as a foundation for informed and constructive debates on this critical issue at the Felsted Model United Nations conference.

Bibliography

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“5 Reasons Why Pandemics like COVID-19 Are Becoming More Likely.” Gavi.org, 2020, www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/5-reasons-why-pandemics-like-covid-19-are-becoming-more-likely. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.

Bahar, Dany. “Rich Countries Have a Moral Obligation to Help Poor Countries Get Vaccines, but Catastrophic Scenarios Are Overrated.” Brookings, 11 Feb. 2021, www.brookings.edu/articles/rich-countries-have-a-moral-obligation-to-help-poor-countries-get-vaccines-but-catastrophic-scenarios-are-overrated/. Accessed 14 Oct. 2023.

“Deadly Flooding in Nigeria Leads to Major Cholera Outbreak; IRC Scaling up Flood and Health Response.” The IRC, 2022, www.rescue.org/uk/press-release/deadly-flooding-nigeria-leads-major-cholera-outbreak-irc-scaling-flood-and-health. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.

graceh. “For Every Child, Vaccination - UNICEF UK.” UNICEF UK, 26 Apr. 2023, www.unicef.org.uk/for-every-child-vaccination/#:~:text=Why%20does%20immunisation%20matter%3F,%2C%20polio%2C%20and%20yellow%20fever. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.

“History of Anti-Vaccination Movements.” Historyofvaccines.org, 2022, historyofvaccines.org/vaccines-101/misconceptions-about-vaccines/history-anti-vaccination-movements. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.

“Immunization Agenda 2030.” Who.int, 2022, www.who.int/teams/immunization-vaccines-and-biologicals/strategies/ia2030. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.

Sidibé, Michel. “Vaccine Inequity: Ensuring Africa Is Not Left Out.” Brookings, 24 Jan. 2022, www.brookings.edu/articles/vaccine-inequity-ensuring-africa-is-not-left-out/. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.

“Vaccination and Immunization Statistics - UNICEF DATA.” UNICEF DATA, 17 July 2023, data.unicef.org/topic/child-health/immunization/#status. Accessed 15 Oct. 2023.

“Vaccine Timeline.” Historyofvaccines.org, 2014, historyofvaccines.org/history/vaccine-timeline/timeline. Accessed 13 Oct. 2023.