The International Labour Organisation (ILO) launched the first World Day against Child Labour in 2002, and since then this day has been used in order to give visibility to this important issue, and to provide further momentum to efforts aimed at eradicating various forms of child labour.
One has to acknowledge that children around the world have benefitted from the ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. However, despite the progress made much still has to be done and achieved.
In Malta, steps were taken in the right direction through the 2001 ratification of this ILO Convention. In addition to this, Malta had already ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) in 1990, which stated that “State Parties [must] recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development” (Article 32).
The office of the Commissioner for Children highlights that the UN CRC article gives emphasis to the fact that child labour is not only harmful in and of itself, but is also capable of having far reaching effects in other aspects regarding the well being of the child. Child labour further impinges on the child’s right to education and training, the right to play, and the right to achieve the highest possible level of health, amongst others.
In marking World Day against Child Labour on June 12th, the Commissioner for Children urges collective social responsibility in tackling this issue in a holistic manner, giving due attention to other contributing factors such as the issue of absenteeism in schools. The issue of child labour necessitates close co-operation amongst the various stakeholders involved, including unions and employers’ associations. Further efforts must also be made for early identification of children at risk, as well as quicker and more intensive intervention with the child and the family once difficulties are identified.
Go for the goal … end child labour