Child Labour in the Americas State of progress IACML / GT2 Buenos Aires, 12 April 2005

Child Labour in the AmericasState of progress

IACML / GT2

Buenos Aires, 12 April 2005.

What is child labour?

It is any economic activity performed by male and female children and adolescents below the minimum age specified by a given country for admission to employment, whatever their occupational classification (wage earner, self-employed, unpaid family worker).

Child labour also includes economic activities undertaken by male and female children and adolescents under 18 years of age, where they interfere with schooling, or are performed in dangerous environments or under conditions affecting their immediate or future psychological, physical, social and moral development.

General Legal Framework

Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1990. ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles

and Rights at Work, 1998.

Minimum Age Convention n.138, 1973. Minimum Age Recommendation n. 146,

1973.

Worst Forms of Child Labour Conventionn. 182, 1999. Worst Forms of Child Labour

Recommendation n. 190, 1999

What must be eliminated

Any work or labour activity performed by a male or female child or adolescent below the established minimum age.

Any work endangering their physical or moral health or interfering with his/her education.

Without delay, the universally recognized worst forms of child labour: slavery, bonded labour, human trafficking, forced recruitment and use in armed conflicts, commercial sexual exploitation, pornography, illicit activities.

What must be eliminated (cont.)

Fuente: Panorama Laboral ILO 2004

The problem

Child Labour

• Poverty• Lack of access to

social programmes• Inadequate

education• Insufficient income

Need to use child labourNeed to use child labour

Family needsnot always met

The child labour cycle is not broken

The size of the problem

SUBSAHARIAN

AFRICA

19%19%

29% 29%

16%16%

15%15%

ASIA AND THE PACÍFIC

LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTHERN AFRICA

% of economically active children over the total population aged 5-14 :

SectorsAgriculture,fishing,hunting,forestry 70.0 %

Manufacturing 8.3 %

Commerce 8.3 %

Community services 6.5 %

Transport 3.8 %

Building 1.9 %

Mining 0.8 %

246 million male and female children aged 5-17

are working

180 million

male and female children aged 5-17 are exposed to the worst forms of

child labour

Source: Global Report. A Future without Child Labour. ILO - 2002.

The size of the problem (cont.)


The size of the problem (cont.)


How best to approach this problem?

After nearly 10 years of experience accumulated since IPEC’s launch in the Region, the ILO has learned that the best strategy for addressing the child labour issue is one comprising a number of actions centered on three approaches:

Regional Approach

Regional Approach

National Approach

National Approach

DirectAction

DirectAction

CountryProgrammes

CountryProgrammes SystematizatiónSystematizatión

SubregionalPlans

SubregionalPlans

RegionalApproach

RegionalApproach

Regional Plan

Regional Goals

TripartiteMeetings

Summit of Iberoamerican Heads of State

Regional Information System on CL (SIRTI)

Horizontal Cooperation among countries

How best to approach this problem? (cont.)

American Summit


SubregionalApproach

SubregionalApproach

MERCOSURPlan

AndeanPlan

Central American Plan

Subgroup 10

Parliamentary Commission

Socio-LabourCommission

Cartagena Agreement Junta

Comisión Andina Juristas

Summit of Labour Ministers

PARLACEN

CARICOM

PlanSummit of Labour

Ministers

HorizontalCooperation

Horizontal Cooperation among countries


NationalApproach

(Country Programmes)

NationalApproach

(Country Programmes)

Statistics Adaptation

Labour Inspection

Legislative Adaptation

Strengthening Social Partners

Incorporating CL into Social Policies

National Policy Monitoring systems

Direct Action Programmes

How far have we got?

Institutionalizing the fight against child labourInstitutionalizing the fight against child labour

SOUTH AMERICASOUTH AMERICA National CommissionsNational Commissions

In all countries National Commissions for the Elimination of Child Labour have been created, whether tripartite or quadripartite.

COUNTRYCOUNTRY NAMENAME YEAR YEAR

CREATEDCREATED

ARGENTINA National Commission for the Elimination of Child Labour – CONAETI 2000

BRAZIL National Forum for the Elimination of Child LabourNational Commission for the Elimination of Child Labour

19942004

BOLIVIA Interinstitutional Commission for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour 2002

COLOMBIA National Interinstitutional Commission and Technical Secretariat for the Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Young Workers

1995

CHILE National Advisory Committee for the Prevention and Progressive Elimination of Child Labour 1996

ECUADOR National Committee for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour – CONEPTI 1999

PARAGUAY National Interinstitutional Commission for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Adolescent Workers - CONAETI-Py

2002

PERU National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour – CETI 2003

URUGUAY National Committee for the Elimination of Child Labour, CETI 2000

VENEZUELA National Commission for the Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Child WorkersInactive.

1997

How far have we got? (cont.)

National PlansNational Plans The National Plans embody effective compliance with ILO Convention n. 138 on the minimum age for

admission to employment, and provide the guidelines and strategies to be followed by individual countries in order to achieve the goal of preventing and eliminating child labour.

COUNTRYCOUNTRY NAMENAME YEAR PREPAREDYEAR PREPARED

ARGENTINA Guidelines of the National Plan for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour (Annex IV to Ley 25.212 – Pacto Federal del Trabajo).

2002

BRAZIL National Plan for the Elimination of Child LabourNational Plan of Action against the commercial sexual exploitation of children

20042003

BOLIVIA Plan for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour National Plan of Action for Children and Adolescents at Risk in Bolivia National Poverty Reduction Strategy

2001-2005

COLOMBIA Third National Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Young Workers 2003-2006- Ley 812National Development Plan

2003

CHILE National Plan for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour in ChileNational Policy for Children and Adolescents 2001-2010

20002000

ECUADOR National Human Rights PlanPlan for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour in Ecuador (being debated) 2004

PARAGUAY National Plan for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Adolescent Workers, 2003-2008

2003

PERU Being preparedNational Plan of Action for Children 2001

URUGUAY Plan of Action for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour 2003- 2005 2002

VENEZUELA There is no National Plan

CENTRAL AMERICA, PANAMA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC , HAITI AND MEXICOCENTRAL AMERICA, PANAMA, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC , HAITI AND MEXICO National CommissionsNational Commissions

In all countries National Commissions for the Elimination of Child Labour have been created, whether tripartite or quadripartite.

COUNTRYCOUNTRY NAMENAME YEAR CREATEDYEAR CREATED

COSTA RICA National Steering Committee for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Adolescent Workers

National Commission against Commercial Sexual Exploitation (CONACOES)

1997

1996

HAITI There is no Commission

HONDURAS National Committee for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour 1998

NICARAGUA National Commission for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Adolescent Workers (CNEPTI)

Adaptation of the decree that established the Commission.

1998

2002

GUATEMALA National Committee for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour 2002

EL SALVADOR National Committee for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour 2001

PANAMA National Committee for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour 1997

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

National Steering Committee to Combat Child Labour 2001

MEXICO National Committee for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour

National Coordinating Bureau to Prevent, Address and Eliminate CSEC

2001


National PlansNational Plans The National Plans embody effective compliance with ILO Convention n. 138 on the minimum age for admission to

employment, and provide the guidelines and strategies to be followed by individual countries in order to achieve the goal of preventing and eliminating child labour.

COUNTRYCOUNTRY NAMENAME YEAR PREPAREDYEAR PREPARED

COSTA RICA National Plan for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Adolescent Workers, 1998-2002.2nd National Plan for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour and for the special protection of adolescent workers (being prepared)

1997

2005

HAITI It has no national plan

HONDURAS National Plan of Action for the Gradual and Progressive Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Adolescents Workers

2003

NICARAGUA National Strategic Plan for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Adolescent Workers 2001-2005

2000

GUATEMALA National Plan for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour 2001

EL SALVADOR Guidelines of the National Plan for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour 2000

PANAMA It has no national plan

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

National Plan for the Progressive Elimination of Child Labour

MEXICO First National Plan for the Elimination of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenSecond National Plan for the Elimination of the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

19992001, 2002



THE CARIBBEANTHE CARIBBEAN

2001: Specific child labour elimination actions begin. COUNTRIES: Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, Jamaica, Surinam, Trinidad

and Tobago. NATIONAL

COMMISSIONS: Commissions have been set up in each of these seven countries. NATIONAL PLANS: Being prepared in: Belize, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago.

ILO Child Labour Conventions

In the region, overall there are 3535 countries members of the ILO.

27 27 countries have ratified Convention n. 138 on the minimum age for admission to employment. (The following countries have not ratified the Convention: Canada, Haiti, Mexico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent & Granadines, Soriname, USA.)

3131 countries have ratified Convention n. 182 on the worst forms of child labour. (The following countries have not ratified the Convention: Cuba, Haiti, Surinam, Venezuela)

Only 2 2 countries (Surinam and Haiti) have ratified neither Convention.

Legislative Harmonization – State of Progress

COUNTRY MINIMUM AGE FOR ADMISSION TO EMPLOYMENT

COMPULSORY EDUCATION

ARGENTINA 14 years 6 to 14 years

BOLIVIA 14 years 6 to 13 years

BRAZIL 16 years 7 to 14 years

CHILE 15 years 6 to 18 years

COLOMBIA 14 years 6 to 12 years

COSTA RICA 15 years 6 to 15 years

ECUADOR 14 years 6 to 14 years

EL SALVADOR 14 years 7 to 15 years

HONDURAS 14 years 7 to 13 years

GUATEMALA 14 years 7 to 14 years

NICARAGUA 14 years 7 to 12 years

PANAMA 14 years 6 to 15 years

PARAGUAY 14 years 7 to 12 years

PERU 14 years 6 to 16 years

DOMINICANREPUBLIC

14 years 7 to 14 years

URUGUAY 15 years 6 to 14 years

VENEZUELA 14 years 5 to 15 years

Legislative Harmonization – State of Progress (cont.)

In the Region’s countries the minimum age for admission to employment has been raised to 14 or 15 years, and to 16 years in some (Brazil and Honduras) .

All countries have begun legislative harmonization processes on labour, criminal education and children’s protection laws, in line with ILO Conventions n. 138 and n. 182.

Labour and Criminal Codes have been reformed in several countries in the Region.

ILO supports and provides technical assistance to the process of reform of children’s and adolescents’ codes in: Argentina, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru and Dominican Republic.

Legislative Harmonization – State of Progress (cont.)

Work to identify dangerous types of work is making steady progress in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Paraguay, Dominican Republic, in accordance with Convention n. 182, art. 3 d..

National studies on legislative harmonization have been carried out in the Mercosur countries and Chile.

Comparative legislation studies have been carried out on child domestic labour and the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

In the Caribbean, a comparative national legislation study is under way, along with legislative adaptation to ensure compliance with the commitment to eliminate child labour. Work will be completed in April 2005.

Statistics Adaptation – State of Progress

1313 countries—namely Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic -- have carried out national surveys on child labour and are about to carry out national surveys including a child labour module as a part of their Household Surveys.

44 countries—namely Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru-- are preparing child labour surveys (SIMPOC).

OTHER STATISTICAL STUDIESOTHER STATISTICAL STUDIES

5454 rapid evaluations on the child labour situation in various countries and sectors.

4040 baseline studies.

Sectoral Research

AGRICULTUREAGRICULTURE

On the agricultural sector and On the agricultural sector and specific crops:specific crops: Guyana, Dominican Republic, Surinam and Trinidad

Rice:Rice: Dominican Republic Banana:Banana: Ecuador Broccoli:Broccoli: Guatemala Sugar cane:Sugar cane: Bolivia and El Salvador Coffee:Coffee: Costa Rica, El Salvador,

Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama Dominican Republic

Building:Building: Ecuador Flower growing:Flower growing: Ecuador Basic grains:Basic grains: Nicaragua Ferns:Ferns: Guatemala Melon:Melon: Honduras Tobacco:Tobacco: Honduras and Nicaragua Tomato:Tomato: Dominican Republic

Sectoral Research

On small-scale mining: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru and Surinam

On child domestic labour : Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Surinam and Trinidad & Tobago.

On solid wastes gathering: Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru and Trinidad & Tobago.

On fireworks: El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.

On fishing activities: El Salvador, Guyana and Honduras.

On urban child labour : Jamaica, El Salvador and Dominican Republic.

On tourism: Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica and Tinidad & Tobago.

On the involvement of male and female children and adolescents in commercial sexual exploitation: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Surinam and Trinidad & Tobago.

Sharing information

Regional bulletin Regional bulletin Encuentros Encuentros :: Access for South America: http://www.oit.org.pe/ipec/boletinAccess for Central Americahttp://www.oit.org.pe/ipec/boletin_cr/

Web page of IPEC América LatinaWeb page of IPEC América LatinaAccess for South America:http://www.oit.org.pe/ipecAccess for Central Americahttp://www.ipec.oit.or.cr/

Information networkInformation networkOver 5000 subscribers.

Bibliographic colectionBibliographic colection1900 titles available for ON LINE consultation

CD ROMsCD ROMs

Query network: Query network: For South America: [email protected] Central America: [email protected]

Publications, pamphlets and other information Publications, pamphlets and other information dissemination material.dissemination material.

The Regional Information System on The Regional Information System on Child Labour - SIRTIChild Labour - SIRTI

The information generated in the Region on child labour, whatever the source, is collected, organized, and then distributed and made available to a variety of users through:

Direct Action: Serving Male and Female Children, Adolescents, and their Communities

Between 1996 and 2005 nearly 300300 intervention projects were carried out in a wide range of sectors in South America.

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE AND RURAL LABOURCOMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE AND RURAL LABOUR 4747 projects in: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico,

Nicaragua, Dominican Republic.

RUBBISH DUMPSRUBBISH DUMPS 14 14 projects in: Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru, Trinidad and Tobago.

FIREWORKSFIREWORKS 6 6 projects in: El Salvador and Guatemala.

COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGSCOMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION, TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS 26 26 projects in: Argentina, Brazil (involvement of male and female children in drug trafficking), Bolivia,

Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela.

BRICKWORKSBRICKWORKS 7 7 projects in: Argentina, Ecuador, Peru.

MININGMINING 44 44 projects in: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Peru.

Direct Action: Serving Male and Female Children, Adolescents, and their Communities (cont.)

FISHERIESFISHERIES 11 11 projects in: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica.

CHILD DOMESTIC LABOUR CHILD DOMESTIC LABOUR 33 33 projects in: Brazil, Costa Rica, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican

Republic.

URBAN CHILD LABOUR URBAN CHILD LABOUR 28 28 projects en: Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guyana, Honduras, Jamaica, Paraguay, Peru,

CHILD LABOUR IN BRICKWORKSCHILD LABOUR IN BRICKWORKS 6 6 projects in: Ecuador, Peru.

AWARENESS RAISING AND SOCIAL MOBILIZATIONAWARENESS RAISING AND SOCIAL MOBILIZATION 17 17 projects in: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru Dominican Republic.

EDUCATION EDUCATION 5 5 projects in: Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Peru.

INSTITUTION STRENGTHENINGINSTITUTION STRENGTHENING 19 19 projects in: Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela.

RURAL LABOURRURAL LABOUR 4 4 projects in: Panama, Paraguay, Costa Rica, El Salvador.

Workers’ Organizations against Child Labour

They are active participants in National Commissions or Committes for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour.

They have contributed to the ratification of ILO Conventions n. 138 and 182 by: Colombia (CUT, CTC, CGTD); Ecuador (FUT, CEOSL, CEDOC/CLAT); Guatemala (CUSG) and Peru (CUT, CGTP).

They monitor working conditions and report abuses against male and female children and adolescents.

They inform adult workers about the importance of providing their sons and daughters with education, of protecting them against work hazards and submitting proposals for consideration at the collective negotiation table.

In MERCOSUR and Chile, 88 central trade unions grouped under the South Cone Central Trade Unions Coordinating Bureau – CCSCS are carrying out a project that envisages participation in the Subregion’s child labour elimination policies.

UATRE in Argentina, CMT and the Costa Rica Education Workers’ Union are engaged in direct action projects.

ARGENTINAARGENTINACTERA

CHILECHILEColegio deProfesores de Chile

IPEC has promoted programmes focused on mobilizing teachers’ organizations in:

COLOMBIACOLOMBIA

PERÚPERÚSUTEP

COSTA RICACOSTA RICA

MEXICOMEXICO

NICARAGUANICARAGUA

DOMINICAN DOMINICAN REPUBLICREPUBLIC

Employers’ organizations against child labour

Have subscribed declarations committing themselves not to hire male or female child workers in their businesses. This commitment has been confirmed in Codes of Conduct.

Have carried out joint projects addressing children-related issues.

Take active part in identifying industries or activities employing minor workers.

Develop basic education, vocational training and capacity strengthening programmes.

Support the creation of income generation alternatives for the families of children, and for the improvement of working conditions for adolescents.

Unión Costarricense de Unión Costarricense de Cámaras de Asociaciones Cámaras de Asociaciones

de la Empresa Privadade la Empresa Privada

Argentina, Chile, Argentina, Chile, PeruPeru

ColombiaColombia

BrazilBrazil

Consejo Nacional Consejo Nacional de la Empresa de la Empresa

PrivadaPrivada

National Network for National Network for the Elimination of the Elimination of

Child LabourChild Labour

CENTRAL AMERICACENTRAL AMERICA

Consejo Consejo Hondureño de la Hondureño de la Empresa PrivadaEmpresa Privada

Confederación de Confederación de Empresarios Empresarios Privados de Privados de

BoliviaBoliviaConfederación Confederación

Nacional de Nacional de Instituciones Instituciones

Empresariales Empresariales

PrivadasPrivadas PeruPeru

Conclusions and Recommendations

Only 10 years ago child labour was not seen as a problem, given the dearth of national and regional capacities to address it.

In spite of the progress made by individual countries in approving policies and plans to address and eliminate child labour, the high incidence of the latter in our region points to the need to redouble efforts and take stronger actions to address this scourge in each and every country.

To ensure their sustainability, efforts against the types of child labour to be abolished must become a public policy priority through their institutionalization and integration into national policies and programmes, and the social agendas of governments, on a par with poverty reduction strategies.

On one hand, it is necessary to ensure that existing social programmes are accessible to families with children engaged in work to be abolished. On the other hand, access to those programmes by the families concerned should, for instance, be subject to the condition that their working children are withdrawn from work.

The high rural incidence of work to be abolished and its concentration in agriculture point to the necessity to carry out programmes directed at and adapted for rural areas, and taking into account the social, economic and infrastructural limitations often faced by the inhabitants of those areas.

Conclusions and Recommendations (cont.)

Link CONAETIs to national children’s rights protection systems.

Adapt and effectively apply the legislation comprised within the framework of ILO Conventions n. 138 and n. 182.

Carry out surveys in countries where this information is not yet available and systematically include the Child Labour Module every 2/4 years in household surveys.

Address the issue of child labour in indigenous populations.

Strengthen and organize Horizontal Cooperation.

Let us build together anUTOPIA THAT IS WITHIN REACH:

Let us build together anUTOPIA THAT IS WITHIN REACH:

Documents

Child Labour in the Americas State of progress IACML / GT2 Buenos Aires, 12 April 2005