Proposition 50K1305

Projet de loi portant assentiment à la Convention n° 182 de l'Organisation internationale du travail concernant l'interdiction des pires formes de travail des enfants et l'action immédiate en vue de leur élimination, faite à Genève le 17 juin 1999.

General information ¶

Submitted by

The Senate

Submission date

April 27, 2001

Official page

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Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

international agreement child labour children's rights

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Discussion ¶

July 3, 2001 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

Mr. Speaker, Mrs. Minister, the present draft approving the International Labour Organization Agreement on the Prohibition of the Worst Forms of Child Labour and the Immediate Action for its Elimination is important. I am therefore pleased that the committee has reached an agreement on the special session that the General Assembly of the United Nations will dedicate to children in September.

I would have liked to hear from the government how many countries have already ratified this agreement. After all, it is important to know this number before the agreement enters into force. This agreement brings us a step closer to the abolition of child labour and responds to the concerns of UNICEF calling for more attention and investment and for integrated programs for the survival and development of young children.

During the special session in September, it is intended to establish the progress made since the World Summit on Children held in 1990. The development of the required legal framework is an important framework prerequisite that allows us to take a step forward.

I would like to receive a response from the government.

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Belgium has always played a leading role in the fight against child labour. A few years ago, on the occasion of the children’s march to Geneva, I had proposed a resolution on the subject, a resolution that was unanimously voted by our assembly.

However, I would like to reaffirm that, in our view, this essential convention constitutes only a transitional stage and not a end in itself. In fact, it is a priority that every child can be recognised – this is one of the main demands of UNICEF – and can receive adequate school education regardless of the level of development of their country. by

Investing in a country’s human wealth is a priority to ensure further economic and social development. In this perspective, we consider that the place of the child is in the school, in his family, in the sports and cultural and youth associations and not in the factories and in the fields. by

That said, it should be noted that in many countries it is the political will that is lacking to ban child labour. by

Based on this finding, in the early 1990s, the ILO changed its approach to the problem by deciding to address the most intolerable forms of child labour and by putting on an immediately feasible action plan. The ILO has decided to address the emergency and thus put the issue of child labour at the top of the agenda of global concerns. This strategy aims at the universality of this Convention which can be applied in each country regardless of its level of development. by

It was of the utmost importance that the convention prohibiting child labour did not affect the poorest and most unequal countries, which are precisely the countries where the most children work. It is the principle of realism and a strategy of small steps that has prevailed. We support this approach if it is clear that the final goal is much more ambitious.

According to ILO data, child labour remains a worrying problem, and this at a double level. First, because the number of children involved is still very high. Secondly, and above all, due to the negative consequences that premature labour has, as a result of the poor conditions in which it is often practiced, both on the personal development of the child and on the economic and social development of the countries concerned.

Child labour is ⁇ common in developing regions. In absolute figures, Asia, the world’s most populous region, has the highest number of child workers, probably more than half. However, it is Africa that leads in relative figures: one in three children would, on average, have an economic activity there. In Latin America, it is estimated that one in five children on average is economically active. In industrialized countries, child labour still exists. In the countries of Southern Europe, there have always been relatively many children working for remuneration, especially in the context of seasonal activities, street crafts, small workshops or in the context of work from home. Child labour is also well present in the northern European countries, as a recent survey conducted in the United Kingdom has shown. A sharp increase in child labour is also observed in several countries in Central and Eastern Europe, as a result of the difficulties encountered by a broad layer of the population during the transition period from a planned economy to a market economy. The same goes for the United States, where the development of the tertiary sector, the rapid growth of the supply of part-time jobs and the search for a more flexible workforce have been helping to fuel the child labour market for several years.

It is difficult to examine exactly the extent of child labour because statistics obviously do not exist, but the phenomenon remains important.

But the phenomenon is still important.

The Convention is based on the principle of autonomy and responsibility. Each country that has ratified it undertakes to take a series of national measures in consultation with the social partners. In addition, a control mechanism must be established in each country; the level of protection provided by the Convention is high. This convention encourages a progressive and realistic approach, guaranteeing success on the ground.

I would like to emphasize two fundamental points. The first refers to Article 8, which provides for mutual assistance and international cooperation, in particular through measures to support economic and social development, the poverty eradication programme and universal education. The ILO has established a support program called IPEC. Belgium contributes financially to this program and has been among the pioneers in supporting this program since 1992. It would be desirable that our country further intensifies its efforts within the framework of IPEC.

The second fundamental point refers to the need for education and mainly to access to basic education. The liberation of man from the carcass of poverty, from underdevelopment passes through education.

Finally, this Convention on Child Labour must not, however, make us lose sight of the other issues relating to the place of children in human society. I think in particular of the problem of children soldiers, the conflicts in Africa, the problem of the excision of girls, as well as the problem of the trafficking and sale of children slaves, as has recently been demonstrated by the arrange of a ship off the coast of West Africa.

Finally, we hope that our Parliament will be able to ratify the Optional Protocol on Child Soldiers in the coming days. We insist on the Minister of Foreign Affairs that this ratification may take place before the parliamentary holidays, as his cabinet promised. Can I recall that more than half a million children are recruited into government armed forces or armed groups in more than 87 countries?

When you are a human rights defender, you are also a child rights defender.

The general discussion is closed. The general discussion is closed.