It is time to deliver on the promise of Convention 182 and end child labor in all its forms, said ILO Director Guy Ryder when the convention was signed. (ILO photo)
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In 2020, for the first in the history of the ILO, an International Labor Standard achieved universal ratification with acceptance by all its 187 member states. The universal ratification of Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labor (1999) means that all children now have legal protection against the worst forms of child labor.
This all-important achievement comes at an opportune moment, as the United Nations declared 2021 as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor. Vera Package-Perdigao answers some key questions about child labor and the Convention.
What is the current situation of child labor?
Over the past two decades, countries have made great progress. Child labor rates fell from 246 million children in 2020 to 152 million children in 2016. However, this figure remains very high, especially since half of these children perform hazardous work, defined as the worst forms of work childish.
Today, the COVID-19 pandemic threatens to paralyze or even reverse the progress of the past 20 years. A generation of children is at risk. At this critical time, we must redouble our efforts, in particular to reach target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end child labor in all its forms by 2025.
Political decisions are important, both to safeguard children during this crisis and to achieve lasting improvements in their situation. Universal access to free education, child protection systems, decent work for parents and young people of working age are essential elements to increase resilience in the face of future crises.
Why is ratification of the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention No. 182?
Universal ratification demonstrates that there is a global consensus that the worst forms of child labor have no place in our society. Now all children have legal protection against these forms of child labor. Convention 182 filled a large gap in the international legal framework to protect the rights of children. But this does not mean that the problem has been solved. For this to happen, the Convention must be fully applied, everywhere.
What are the worst forms of child labor?
The worst forms of child labor expose children to physical danger and / or deep psychological trauma that can affect them for life. The worst forms of child labor include slavery and similar practices, prostitution and child pornography, illicit activities such as the use of children for drug trafficking, and dangerous work that may harm their health, safety or morals.
In what way will ratification make it possible to eradicate these and other forms of child labor in a country?
Ratification launches action to combat child labor in law and in practice. The countries that have ratified it undertake to harmonize their laws and policies with the provisions of the Convention. They are committed to adopting immediate and time-bound measures aimed at preventing the worst forms of child labor, removing children from these activities and offering them the necessary rehabilitation and care, with special attention to girls.
In many countries, the ratification of this Convention and Convention No. 138 of the ILO on the minimum age for admission to employment, has led to the adoption of national action plans on child labor that mobilize responses from across the government.
There is concrete evidence that this works. In the 20 years since the adoption of Convention 182, we have seen a decrease in child labor of nearly 40 percent and the strengthening of laws and programs to protect children from child labor around the globe.
How will universal ratification help eliminate all forms of child labor by 2025?
Target 8.7 of the SDGs is an ambitious goal that can only be achieved if we work together, within and across borders. Partnerships, such as Alliance 8.7, are helping countries move towards this goal by sharing knowledge, experiences and innovative approaches. The United Nations declared 2021 as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor.
This offers an opportunity to strengthen the global movement against child labor and fulfill the commitments made with the universal ratification of Convention 182. The V World Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor, which will take place in South Africa in 2022, will be another important event for assess progress, identify what still needs to be done to achieve a world without child labor by 2025 and mobilize all the necessary resources to make it happen.
Swisslatin / OIT Prensa (31.12.2020)
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