Hard News on Committee Session #5

International Labour Organization (ILO)

An Ending: A Future Without Child Labor

Based on International Labour Organization (ILO), agriculture is where the most common forms of child labor are found. It is often found in Colombia, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Countries whose economies rely on their harvests, such as Ivory Coast and Uzbekistan, are often found child labor and forced to work. Children from around the world, also forced to work in the garment industry, produce bricks for construction projects, sugarcane production, the tobacco industry, and even the mining industry. But have you ever wonder, the world’s future without child labor?

Child labor is a long-lasting issue and a phenomenon in several countries. People were against it at first but the world’s situation is now evolving. ¹In a new climate of openness, many countries are undertaking comprehensive surveys to investigate child labor. According to the delegate of China, child labor plays a huge role in people’s productivity. Seeing from the way it views, the way society demands them to work from such a young age and people cannot eradicate child labor. Delegate of China hopes on exterminating the hazardous one. ²Age-appropriate tasks that are of lower risk and do not interfere with a child’s schooling and right to leisure time are not an issue here because in fact that work experiences can evolve the children’s soft-skills, boost up their confidence, and be a responsible person.

According to global estimates indicate that there are 152 million children - 64 million girls - 88 million boys - are in child labor globally. Also, slavery and human trafficking are often found in child labor. The vicious cycle of poverty needs to stop. Every industry must have a standard regulation, for example, a prohibition of child labor as a core requirement. The industry must employ adults over 18 years to prevent hazardous work that can jeopardize the children. Some children forced to work to help their families financially, if the child labor has stopped, the children need to go to school. ILO needs to work with other United Nations (UN) bodies that have the main focus on education. Free education is needed, especially for children who experienced extreme poverty.

¹International Labour Conference. (2002). “A Future Without Child Labour”. ILO.org, https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---dgreports/---dcomm/---publ/documents/publication/wcms_publ_9221 124169_en.pdf

²International Labour Organization. (2007, December 3). “Future Harvests Without Child Labour”. ILO.org, https://www.ilo.org/global/publications/world-of-work-magazine/articles/WCMS_091389/lang--en/index.htm