WORLD DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOR MARKED IN MONGOLIA
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia /MONTSAME/ Mongolia is marking the World Day Against Child Labor which was initiated by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in 2002.
This year the World Day Against Child Labor will provide a spotlight on the right of all children to be protected from child labor and from other violations of fundamental human rights. In 2010 the international community adopted a Roadmap for achieving the elimination of the worst forms of child labor by 2016, which stressed that child labor is an impediment to children's rights and a barrier to development. World Day 2012 will highlight the work that needs to be done to make the roadmap a reality.
The ILO's Conventions seek to protect children from exposure to child labor. Together with other international instruments relating to children's, workers' and human rights they provide an important framework for legislation established by national governments. However the ILO's most recent global estimate is that 215 million children worldwide are involved in child labor, with more than half this number involved in its worst forms.1 The children concerned should be at school being educated, and acquiring skills that prepare them for decent work as adults. By entering the labor market prematurely, they are deprived of this critical education and training that can help to lift them, their families and communities out of a cycle of poverty. In its worst forms, child laborers may also be exposed to physical, psychological or moral suffering that can cause long term damage to their lives.
The government of Mongolia adopted a national program on abolishing the worst forms of child labor in October of 2011. In addition, the Minister of Social Welfare and Labor has issued several documents such as the 2012-2016 action plan for implementing the national program, a model of unified actions of the localities, and a guideline of the roles of local administrations for realizing the national program. These documents are being implemented nationwide.
On occasion of the World Day, the National Network against Worst Forms of Child Labor and the Department for Children have called a press conference on the issues, and rendered services to 120 laboring children and organized a football match among them as well.
According to a survey conducted by the National Statistical Committee in 2007, 11.5 per cent of children aged 5-17, 9.7 per cent of children aged 5-14, and 16.1 per cent of children aged 15-17 years old were worked. In other words, a total of 71,330 were worked, and 43,158 of them were employed by 2007.
Hundreds of millions of girls and boys throughout the world are engaged in work that deprives them of adequate education, health, leisure and basic freedoms, violating their rights. Of these children, more than half are exposed to the worst forms of child labor such as work in hazardous environments, slavery, or other forms of forced labor, illicit activities such as drug trafficking and prostitution, as well as involvement in armed conflict.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) launched the first World Day Against Child Labor in 2002 as a way to highlight the plight of these children. The day, which is observed on June 12th, is intended to serve as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labor, reflected in the huge number of ratifications of ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labor and ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for employment.
The World Day Against Child Labor provides and opportunity to gain further support of individual governments and that of the ILO social partners, civil society and others, including schools, youth and women's groups as well as the media, in the campaign against child labor.
B.Khuder
This year the World Day Against Child Labor will provide a spotlight on the right of all children to be protected from child labor and from other violations of fundamental human rights. In 2010 the international community adopted a Roadmap for achieving the elimination of the worst forms of child labor by 2016, which stressed that child labor is an impediment to children's rights and a barrier to development. World Day 2012 will highlight the work that needs to be done to make the roadmap a reality.
The ILO's Conventions seek to protect children from exposure to child labor. Together with other international instruments relating to children's, workers' and human rights they provide an important framework for legislation established by national governments. However the ILO's most recent global estimate is that 215 million children worldwide are involved in child labor, with more than half this number involved in its worst forms.1 The children concerned should be at school being educated, and acquiring skills that prepare them for decent work as adults. By entering the labor market prematurely, they are deprived of this critical education and training that can help to lift them, their families and communities out of a cycle of poverty. In its worst forms, child laborers may also be exposed to physical, psychological or moral suffering that can cause long term damage to their lives.
The government of Mongolia adopted a national program on abolishing the worst forms of child labor in October of 2011. In addition, the Minister of Social Welfare and Labor has issued several documents such as the 2012-2016 action plan for implementing the national program, a model of unified actions of the localities, and a guideline of the roles of local administrations for realizing the national program. These documents are being implemented nationwide.
On occasion of the World Day, the National Network against Worst Forms of Child Labor and the Department for Children have called a press conference on the issues, and rendered services to 120 laboring children and organized a football match among them as well.
According to a survey conducted by the National Statistical Committee in 2007, 11.5 per cent of children aged 5-17, 9.7 per cent of children aged 5-14, and 16.1 per cent of children aged 15-17 years old were worked. In other words, a total of 71,330 were worked, and 43,158 of them were employed by 2007.
88.9 per cent of the total children were worked at the agricultural sector, and 90.0 per cent of them--at family business without any salaries.
Hundreds of millions of girls and boys throughout the world are engaged in work that deprives them of adequate education, health, leisure and basic freedoms, violating their rights. Of these children, more than half are exposed to the worst forms of child labor such as work in hazardous environments, slavery, or other forms of forced labor, illicit activities such as drug trafficking and prostitution, as well as involvement in armed conflict.
The International Labor Organization (ILO) launched the first World Day Against Child Labor in 2002 as a way to highlight the plight of these children. The day, which is observed on June 12th, is intended to serve as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labor, reflected in the huge number of ratifications of ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labor and ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for employment.
The World Day Against Child Labor provides and opportunity to gain further support of individual governments and that of the ILO social partners, civil society and others, including schools, youth and women's groups as well as the media, in the campaign against child labor.
B.Khuder
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