ILO's new tool against worst form of child labour

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Lalitpur, Nov. 18: A day before the nation observes the 10th anniversary of its signing the United Nations Child Rights Convention, International Labour Organisation (ILO)'s new tool against the worst forms of child labour is coming into force from tomorrow.

The Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (No. 182) is coming into effect exactly 12 months after the International Labour Conference (ILC) registered its second ratification.

Adopted unanimously by the International Labour Conference (ILC) on June 17 last year, it was first ratified by the government of Seychelles on September 28 the same year. Malawi was the second country to ratify the Convention followed by the United States of America.

To date, over 40 of the ILO's 175 member states have ratified the Convention that is considered to be a supplement to Convention 138, ILO's international labour standard on child labour. Nepal, however, is yet to ratify the Convention. The ILO sources said that she was expected to ratify it during the upcoming winter session of the Parliament.

The Convention lists slavery, debt bondage, prostitution, pornography, forced recruitment of children for armed forces, use of children in drug trafficking and all other work harmful or hazardous to the health and safety of children as the worst forms of child labour.

On ratifying Convention 182, a member state should "take immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency," it reads. Even where national legislation defines childhood as ending earlier, everyone up to 18 should be protected.

"The elimination of child labour is one of the earliest concerns of the ILO," Senior ILO Advisor Leyla Tegmo-Reddy told a press meet here this morning.

Tegmo-Reddy said that the ILO developed internationally accepted labour standards and urged the governments, employers, workers as well as the civil society to work towards eliminating child labour.

"Let's make this issue a global cause," IPEC (International Programme on the Elimination of the Child Labour) National Programme Manager Yadav Amatya said.

Nepal has shown honest commitments to eliminate child labour, said Amatya, adding that IPEC would assist the government to remove children from hazardous situations and rehabilitate them.

The ILO-IPEC has initiated the process by selecting Nepal as one of the sample countries along with Tanzania and El Salvador to implement a time bound programme on the worst forms of child labour. These interventions reportedly have benefited 10,000 children in Nepal. Five thousand of them were enrolled for the formal education.

Millions are yet to be relieved. The number of children workers aged between 5-14 in Nepal is estimated to be 2.6 million (42 per cent of the total children population) out of which 1.7 million work full time.

"Social customs and cultural practice compounded with poverty have been responsible to high child workers incidence in Nepal," said IPEC Associate Expert Casper N. Edmonds.

Child labour, however, is a global problem. According to the ILO's latest estimates, the number of working children world-wide aged 5-14 is 250 million. About 120 million of them are working full time and many are doing work that is hazardous and exploitative.

Region-wise, Asia tops child workers' list with 61 per cent followed by Africa with 32 per cent. Latin America and the Caribbean have seven per cent of world's child workers.

The ILO officials stressed on the need to raise awareness and build cross-boarder alliances to improve the situation.

Pathologists should be service-oriented

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov. 18:The Third Congress of the Association of Clinical Pathologists of Nepal (ACPN) started today. The theme of the Congress is 'Health Education for Early Detection and Possible Cure of Cancer in this Millennium' and the Congress participated by more than 100 participants from Nepal, India, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

Inaugurating the two-day meet, Dr. Keshar Jung Rayamajhi, Chairman of the Rajsabha Standing Committee, said the outcome of the Congress will be useful and effective to enhance the quality and capability of clinical pathologists for timely diagnosis and detection. He said pathologists who can correctly diagnose should be trained in large numbers within the country and added that in view of the deprivation of people of the rural areas of primary health services, all medical doctors should discharge their responsibilities with a service motive.

Health Secretary Padma Prasad Pokharel said basic health services pose a challenge for developing countries and the government is doing its best for mobilising the means and resources available in the country to ensure health services to all the people.

Similarly, chairman of ACPN, Dr. Bhisma Raj Prasai stressed the need for a separate policy to meet the growing demand for pathologists in the country.

At the inaugural function today, Chief Guest Dr. Rayamajhi distributed life membership certificates and felicitated senior pathologist and president of ACPN, Prof. B.R. Prasai, with award of honour.

More than 40 papers and case studies on various aspects of cancer will be presented during the scientific sessions of the Congress spanning over two days.

Prof. M. Kudo, Professor at the Tokyo Medical College, second pathology department gave a keynote address on Cytologic Diagnosis of Brain Tumours at today's function.

Presently, there are only 36 pathologists, including 17 from outside the country, available in the country whereas the 7 medical colleges existing in the country alone need at least 147 pathologists.

Results of SLC Supplementary Exams published

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov. 18: The SLC Examination Controller's Office has published the results of the supplementary examinations held in September.

Out of 81,099 students attending the exams, 47,157 (58.15 per cent) got through, the Controller's Office said.

The Bhaktapur-based office said that it was able to bring out the results within the time frame it had set.

Chataut urges to shun partisan biases for development

Mahendranagar, Nov.18 (RSS): Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Tarini Dutta Chataut has said that it is the responsibility of party workers to inform leaders and people's representatives about people's problems and it is the duty of representatives to take initiatives to solve these problems.

Mr Chataut, while speaking at party workers gatherings at various VDCs during his two-day visit to the district, noted that unless the concept of regional development is given a push by rising above political urges and biases, people cannot feel any difference under democracy.

Stating that it is very natural for debates and differences to take place within a big party like Congress, the Tourism Minister accused those who are bent on splitting the Nepali Congress by exaggerating the things within it.

All the differences and doubts will be laid to rest once the elections for party presidentship is held, he added.

In a meet with the people at Rautelibichwa VDC, Mr Chataut said that he will make efforts to resolve the people's problems.

The minister also distributed medicines free of cost to health posts and private clinics to Rotelibichwa, Beldadhi, Rampur, Bilaspur, and other VDCs in the district.

Conceding that Kamaiyas are yet to be classified since the decision about this was taken in haste under the pressure of oppositions, he stressed that though the government is not in a position to provide compensation for Saukis the Kamaiyas have taken, their problems will be addressed to some extent.

MP and chairman of the Remote Area Development Basudev Bhatta, Prem Bista, former DDC vice chairman Pushkar Ojha were also present during his visit.

Defend freedom of expression: Mediapersons

Kathmandu, Nov. 18 (RSS): On the occasion of its 10th anniversary the Janadesh weekly family organised here today a day-long interaction programme on the "Role of press on issues of nationality and people's democracy and livelihood".

Speakers at the programme pointed out the need of institutional development of journalism in multiparty democratic system of governance, guarantee in practice of the freedom of information and expression as envisaged in the constitution and concerted efforts of government and all others concerned with promotion of free, impartial and responsible journalism.

Urging all mediapersons and the civic society to strongly defend the efforts being made to restrict the freedom of expression guaranteed by the constitution, the speakers on the occasion also expressed the view that the Nepali press should work towards protecting and promoting people's right to be informed and make the government abide by the constitution.

Inaugurating the interaction programme, president of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) Suresh Acharya said Nepali Press will not be able to make leaps without the institutional development of democracy.

Non-democratic activities like locking up printing presses capturing press and imprisoning editors will obstruct development and upliftment of democracy, he added.

Senior advocate Sindhunath Pyakurel said the government is indifferent to the issue of nationality, people's democracy and livelihood even after 10 years of democracy and that the opposition parties too can play an important role in this regard.

It is the government's responsibility to safeguard the rights and interests of journalists and legal personnel who are active for national development, he added.

Senior journalist Gopal Thapaliya said promoting nation and nationality is the prime responsibility of the press.

Human rights activist K.B. Rokka said civic society, human rights organisations and the press are complementary to each other, and their chief responsibility is to guarantee human rights in the country.

Senior journalist Somnath Ghimire asked whether Nepali journalism is heading towards a different path leaving behind its norms, values and principle.

FNJ member Om Sharma, human rights activist Krishna Prasad Siwakoti, Maniklal Shrestha and other speakers also expressed their views at the programme chaired by legal advisor to Janadesh weekly Ramnath Mainali.