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Home > NGO
Group for the CRC > Thematic
Subgroups > Child
Labour
Subgroup
on Child Labour
Related Links | History | ILO convention| Work Plan | Documents | Links
The
subgroup on Child Labour aims to raise awareness of the exploitation of
Child Labour. It promotes the effective implementation of relevant international
Conventions, and facilitates the exchange of information between NGOs
and the UN and ILO.
History
The subgroup on child labour brings together members of the NGO Group who work on the issue of child labour. It uses the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) as a framework, with particular reference to article 32 on the economic exploitation of children and to relevant ILO Conventions on child labour. It was created in March of 1991 by Anti-Slavery International and is comprised of international NGOs and professional associations.
Since its creation, this subgroup has aimed at sharing information on child labour issues from around the world and to advocate on child labour policy at international level. Its early activities included making statements to the UN Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and to the UN Commission on Human Rights, as well as drafting lists of questions for the Committee on the Rights of the Child to ask particular governments during the Committee Sessions.
In 1993, it was involved in the creation of an information leaflet for the UN program of action on the elimination of child labour, as also in the planning of the theme day entitled the "Economic Exploitation of Children" at the Committee of the Rights of the Child (CRC) in September of that year. It also campaigned against the exploitation of children in the hand-knotted carpet industry by producing a brochure entitled "Eliminating the Exploitation of Child Labour: International, National and Local Action".
In 1993, it produced a brochure entitled, "Eliminating the Exploitation of Child Labour: International, National and Local Action", describing the UN Programme of Action on the Elimination of Child Labour. It also participated in planning the theme day entitled "The Economic Exploitation of Children" at the Committee on the Rights of the Child in September of that year.
Between 1994 and 1996, the subgroup continued to make submissions to various UN fora. It monitored reports to the CRC and continued to be a forum of exchange. It liased with the WHO (World Health Organisation) on their work on the impact of child labour on children's health, coordinated members' input at international meetings, such as the Social Summit held in Copenhagen in 1995 and the Women's Conference held in Beijing in 1995. Its convenor represented members at a meeting with UNICEF in New York for a discussion regarding UNICEF's strategy and policy on child labour. In 1997, the subgroup created a brochure entitled "Working with Companies to Prevent the Exploitation of Child Labour" funded by UNICEF.
From 1996, the subgroup produced a number of briefings for NGOs on developments relating to a new ILO Convention 182 on the Worst FormsChild Labour and information on how to influence its outcome. In 1997/1998, the subgroup conducted an international survey of NGOs views on the content of the proposed Convention, the findings of which were used by subgroup members in lobbying ILO constituents during the drafting of Convention 182.
In 2000 it produced a new brochure entitled "Do you know about the New ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention?" 10,000 copies were printed and over 4,000 had been downloaded from Anti-Slavery International's website by June 2002.
In May 2001, a presentation was given by the Geneva representative of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) on the ICFTU's new campaign, 'Stop Child Labour!'. In November 2001, the head of a new joint project between UNICEF, the ILO and the World Bank called 'Understanding Child Work' came to speak to the subgroup. The project aimed to link ongoing activities and ensure the dissemination of information and experience among the three agencies, in order to improve child labour research, data collection and analysis and improve assessment of interventions against child labour.
In the run-up to the UN General Assembly Special Session on Children, the subgroup contributed to the lobbying efforts of the Child Rights Caucus created for the Special Session. Subgroup members participated in the three preparatory meetings and in the Special Session itself in May 2002. In March 2001, it also made a presentation to the Child Rights Caucus during the Commission on Human Rights.
Continuing its history of liaison with the ILO on behalf of NGOs, the subgroup also kept NGOs informed of the forthcoming ILO Global Report on Child Labour - 2002. Its raised awareness on the report and how it could be a useful advocacy tool for NGOs at all levels. It also informed NGOs on how to work with ILO constituents such as trade unions and to submit information through official ILO channels.
At the International Labour Conference 2002, the subgroup made a statement at the plenary session for the launch of the Global Report on June 12th, now designated by the ILO as the International Day for the Elimination of Child Labour. The subgroup also organised a side event entitled: "The impact of discrimination on the phenomenon of child labour and the lives of working children". A paper of the same title served as a basis for discussion.
With regard to the future, the subgroup looks forward to a broader membership and to continue to ensure that the problem of the exploitation of child labour receives the attention it deserves. It is currently chaired by Anti Slavery International.
ILO
Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour: country reporting obligations
and opportunities for NGOs to feed into the ILO supervisory process
Reports
ILO Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labour was adopted in 1999.
ILO member states are required to report on the implementation of Conventions
they have ratified. Conventions enter into force in the country one year
after ratification. State Parties to Conventions must submit a detailed
report, including all relevant laws, regulations, administrative provisions
etc, two years later.
The first
state party reports on Convention 182 were submitted in 2002, and 54 reports
are due in 2003. The ILO has a website where it is possible to find up-to-date ratification information, and information on State Party reports.
Ideally States
should prepare their reports in consultation with national employers'
and workers' organisations, and at the very least these organisations
should be sent copies for comment.
NGOs are
not a core part of this process. However they can still contribute to
the ILO's supervisory process:
The supervisory
process
The Committee of Experts
The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations
meets annually from November to December to review government reports,
and make a comprehensive assessment of law and practice. They are helped
by supplementary information received from reliable sources (such as trade
unions, UN, NGOs).
Official
ILO and UN documents, and submissions made by workers' and employers'
organisations are treated as primary sources of information with a direct
bearing on the examination of the state report. Generally it is workers'
and employers' organisations based in the country concerned which submit
information on the periodic report. Information submitted by NGOs, the
media or individuals is used for background purposes only.
However,
workers' or employers' organisations may also submit material on behalf
of NGOs - even if they simply attach a cover letter to the NGO information.
Workers' organisations are more likely to do this. NGOs are encouraged
to develop links with workers' organisations and put forward information
in this way as it ensures that the information will be considered in the
supervisory process. It is also a good idea to send information on child
labour to IPEC directly.
The ILO must
receive material by September if it is to be considered by the Committee
in the same year. So, NGOs wishing to submit information through workers'
and employers' organisations must send it to them well in advance of that,
usually by August.
Observations
and Direct Requests
The Committee of Experts can make "Observations" and
"Direct Requests" to governments. Observations can either
indicate long-standing problems implementing a Convention or welcome progress
in response to previous years' comments. Direct Requests for further information
or clarification can supplement Observations or may stand on their own.
Comment
Employers' and workers' organisations can also submit "Comments"
to the Committee of Experts on Convention 182, as with any other Convention.
They can do so whether or not they are based in the country concerned.
Comments highlight breaches in the State's application of the Convention,
and can lead to an Observation by the Committee of Experts.
NGOs may
not submit Comments - but can supply information to workers' and employers'
organisations, willing to take the matter up for them. As with information
on periodic reports, workers' organisations are more likely to make use
of NGO information.
Although
Comments do not have to be linked to the State Party's reporting cycle,
the same timetable applies for submitting information. The ILO must receive
the information by September to ensure that the Committee of Experts considers
it at the following November-December session. So NGOs must make sure
to forward it to the workers' or employers' organisation that has agreed
to take the issue up by August.
Annual
Reports of the Committee of Experts
The Committee of Experts lists Observations on individual countries,
arranged in order of Convention number in its Annual Report. The
Report issued in March every year.
International
Labour Conference - Committee on the Application of Standards
The Committee on the Application of Standards meets every June as part
of the International Labour Conference. It is a tripartite Committee composed
of worker and employer organisation and government representatives.
The Committee
on the Application of Standards makes an in-depth review of about 20 country
Observations, all drawn from the Committee of Experts' Annual
Report. The Committee generally focuses on the gravest breaches of
the fundamental ILO Conventions and cases of repeated non-compliance by
State Parties. The Committee also tries to ensure a balance of countries
and Conventions.
The tripartite
discussions are in a spirit of dialogue and cooperation. Each case discussion
ends in the formulation of a concluding paragraph, which is negotiated
by the tripartite groups. In the worst cases of non-compliance, the Committee
on the Application of Standards may decide to include the case in a "special
paragraph" in its report to the International Labour Conference.
This report is then forwarded to the Committee of Experts at its next
session to continue the monitoring process.
Work Plans
- The 2005 Work Plan of the subgorup is available here [word]
- The 2004 Work Plan of the subgorup is available here [word]
- The 2003 Annual Report of the subgroup is available here [word]
Documents
Position
papers and reports
- ILO
Reporting Process for Convention 182 (text from "Current issues")
[word
and pdf
format].
- Defence
for Children International
position
paper in English [word
and pdf
format], French [word
and
pdf format] and Spanish [word
and pdf
format].
- ILO
Submission to the General Day of Discussion of the Committee on
the Rights of the Child on indigenous children, September 2003 [pdf
format]
Links
Links to
relevant websites and structures with which we work:
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