Fight Against Worst Form Of Child Labour

HIDDEN in the back rooms of bars, tourist hotels, private homes, and the virtual back rooms of cyber-space, millions of children are sexually exploited as cheap and docile commodities for commercial sale every day. As the Global March’s Report on the Worst Forms of Child Labour shows, child prostitution, pornography and trafficking are widespread around the world. There are at least 97 countries with reported cases of commercial sexual exploitation of children.

The world has seen some progress since international organisations, civil society organisations and 125 countries met in 1995 at the first World Congress on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Stockholm. Since then, we have witnessed encouraging signs of a steady increase in government, NGO and private sector projects in investigating and combating child prostitution, pornography, trafficking and sex tourism. However, in the eyes of the sexually exploited children, we have made very little progress in the efforts to eliminate this increasingly growing and complex crime.

There have been many efforts to a ncover the root causes of this problem. The unbalanced development caused by neoliberal globalisation and the resulting income disparities and widespread poverty have created the conditions for society’s most vulnerable members to be exploited for their flesh and robbed of their dignity for little or no money. Indeed, greed is the engine driving this new and highly complex global system of commercial sexual exploitation. Tour operators bring customers from all over the world to make profit from children forced to prostitution. Human trafficking is the most profits-driven illicit trade after drugs and small arms, cultivating up to US$ 7 billion per year.

Much has been said about this issue in these last five years, since Stockholm, however little action has been seen on the ground to acknowledge that the current situation is, in fact, a crisis. Each day the call for action becomes another broken promise to a child lured into commercial sexual exploitation-unless we immediately begin to act with a concrete, measurable, and determined strategy and with a clear sense of urgency.

In calling for immediate action against the commercial sexual exploitation of children, the Global March Against Child Labour calls for early ratification and implementation of ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour gives a clear guideline of action to end the most exploitative and hazardous forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. The Convention specifically defines "procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for prostitution, for the production of pornography or pornographic performances" as one of the worst forms of child labour.

The first article of the Convention calls for "immediate and effective" measures for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including commercial sexual exploitation of children. Countries ratifying the convention are obliged to draft National Action Plans within one year of the ratification with immediate effects to implement. It further stresses the importance of all sectors of society, including government, employers’ and workers’ unions and civil society to participate in the implementation of the National Action Plans. The Convention obliges governments and other implementing agencies to take all possible measures to end commercial sexual exploitation of children without any day being wasted.

Since its adoption in 1999, 108 countries have already ratified the Convention, making it the fastest ratified international convention in the ILO history. An accelerated and ultimately a universal ratification will spread the message of urgency for ending commercial sexual exploitation of children across the world and it is a foreseeable goal with the ILO and civil society partners campaigning and closely monitoring the ratification process.

The past five year since Stockholm, there has been a great lack of urgency in taking decisive action against commercial sexual exploitation of children. A lot has been said and it is now time to act with the sense of urgency and call for immediate action of ILO Convention 182, all stakeholders should concretise their collaborated action in ending commercial sexual exploitation of children without delay.

Time-bound goals for the elimination of commercial sexual exploitation of children: As of today, only 34 countries have met the first deadline for the submission of Action Plans by the year 2000, which was set at Stockholm. Five years have passed while we sit and calculate how many children will enter into prostitution as a result of our negligence.

We must focus on conveying the urgency of the problem while lobbying governments to come up with time-bound goals to be implemented and strictly monitored by governmental and non-governmental partners. As ILO Convention 182 insists, this exploitation against children must end immediately.

Poverty is too often cited as an obstacle in the elimination of child labour when, in fact, at least this exploitation of poverty can be ended with the strict implementation of international and national laws. The greed of exploiters and enforcement authorities who form a criminal partnership should be punished. We must mobilize political will and legal instruments for immediate action to end commercial sexual exploitation of children.

Children can wait no longer. We propose for all states to set time-bound goals within their National Action Plan according to their current situations and with the ultimate goal of eliminating commercial sexual exploitation of children as soon as possible and no later than in the next five years. We have already seen five years go by in front of our eyes and another five years is too much to lose. We must accelerate our efforts and bring an immediate end to the commercial sexual exploitation of children.

Full Implementation of the Dakar Framework of Action on Education for All: Education is a key step for ending commercial sexual exploitation, as providing quality education and hopes and alternatives for the future will keep them away from the hands of exploiters.

In 2000, over 180 countries came together in Dakar and promised that by the year 2015, all children will have a complete free, compulsory and quality education. The deadline set by the Dakar Framework of Action must be one of the priorities in eliminating all forms of child labour. Without the provision of free, compulsory and quality education, children will always remain vulnerable to exploitation. Moreover, through education we can ensure that all children are informed of their rights in order to protect themselves.

The Dakar Framework of Action also sets a time-bound goal which reaffirms the sense of urgency, education holds a key to breaking the cycle of illiteracy, poverty and exploitation of the vulnerable.

Time-bound commitment to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of GNP as overall development assistance, including at least 0.1 per cent for children: Many of the possible measures to end commercial sexual exploitation of children are neglected due to a lack of resources. The needs of children, our future, must be sufficiently met through the concrete and measurable commitment of funds. To end the commercial sexual exploitation of children, resources must be sufficiently mobilised in the coming years for preventative measures such as education, birth registration, income alternatives for parents, legal support for victims and rehabilitation.

Designating 0.1 per cent of countries’ GNP for children’s development would mean US$25 billion annually for the world’s most neglected children. For the richest countries in the world which generate US$ 25 trillion each year, this small fraction should not be too much to ask for our children.

The Second World Congress on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children presents challenges and opportunities for us all. The commercial sexual exploitation of children is too pervasive a problem for any country to ignore. We must strengthen our global partnership by sharing common challenges in order to create the international will to stop this inhumane crime against children.

The World Congress in Yokohama must urgently call for immediate action with measurable and concrete commitment of resources and political will to end this inexcusable crime against children. Five more years is already too long to wait. Imagine the thousands of innocent lives in the next five years that will be forever scarred due to our dawdling. Is even one innocent life enough for us to lose?

(Position Paper of the Global March Against Child Labour presented at the Second World Congress on Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children)

Need To Eliminate Child Labour

By Mohan K.C.

A RECENT report says that there are 2.6 million children working in the country’s municipalities alone. This figure is enough to highlight the massive problem that child labour has become. Despite conventions being in place to check and discourage child labour in any type of work, it seems to have been flouted by people who see the children a cheap substitute of workers needed in many industries, hotels, households etc.

The problem of child labour is compounded by the fact that Nepal has a significant population living below the poverty line. In that sense, the families consider any child who enters into any profession as an asset. Contribution to the family budget howsoever meagre is welcome. For families who have great difficulty meeting their basic requirement, the income of their children is like a windfall. But the rationale is bewildering. The children who should have been in school receiving education and indulging in activities for their mental, physical, intellectual and moral development are confined to rigorous and unpleasant duty of eking out a living.

The fact that even a cursory glance around the numerous restaurants of Kathmandu shows that the waiters and dishwashers are mostly below the age of ten or twelve. This shows that the implementation aspect of child rights has not percolated down to the grassroots. Of course, it is true that many carpet and garment industries have stopped recruiting children. This is quite encouraging but it is not seen in many other sectors.

Poverty is the primary cause for the children being drawn into employment, but the wages they receive is nominal and are susceptible to exploitation of various kinds. Physical abuse is one thing they all have to face while working for others. Being denied food or being beaten up for trivial causes hampers their all round development.

It is also clear that most of the children working in the capital have come from outside. This shows that the economic condition of the people in other parts of the country specially the remote districts are quite pitiful.

Children are considered the future pillars of the society and the country has much expectation from them. To see the young children working or hanging around as scavengers or street children are a blob on the conscience of the society as a whole. But under the circumstances much needs to be done for their upliftment.

Rhetoric alone cannot create a favourable life for them. It is not the total responsibility of the state but the people in general too have to contribute their time and effort. There are many NGOs working for the children but not all have been successful in doing the needful to see that children are helped in a more meaningful way. Some of them have done something but it has not been enough.

The government on its part has formulated laws necessary to curb the prevalence of child labour but with the implementation aspect being lax the labour market is still flooded with children. This is disheartening despite the commitment on the part of the government and its agencies to eliminate child labour. The drive needs more than rhetoric. And action has to be taken both in the urban and rural areas. In the rural areas there may be some compulsions which cannot be avoided yet by generating awareness among the people of the harms of child labour much can be achieved. This drive must be sustained and not limited to the occasional advertisements and publicity in the media.

It’s education that is most important for the children to become able to lead an independent life when they grow up. In the absence of education they will not be able to contribute to the full extent in the development process of the country.

In recent times the worst forms of child labour has been much talked about. In this direction Nepal has made some achievements which are quite praiseworthy. But it is only the tip of the iceberg. To go the whole way the government needs the hands of the people and the various NGOs.

Nepal may have limitations because of being cash strapped but much can be done if the social organisations and social workers do their part honestly and with full commitment. While laws are in place, timely adjustment too have to be made. The problem of child labour is not insurmountable but requires more devotion to the cause by every citizen. No one likes to see the children languishing in the most hostile and unhygienic conditions but it is there. The need is to raise awareness together with seeing to it that the child rights are honoured and any breach treated with urgency. Only when the right environment has been created can the lot of children be good. It is a big problem but a start has already been made and the only necessity is to give continuity with great vigour and commitment besides significant budgetary allocation.

‘Rosy’ Future For Dhobi Khola

By PNK

POLLUTION is, indeed dirty. Or rather hateful. Yet, we have to live with it. And are living with it. There’s no place that pollution doesn’t find its way into or over. To Everest, it’s there. In your mind too its presence is felt. Talk about the holiest of holy rivers and it’s not missing. With development, noise has crept in. The air gets adequate doses of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and what not gases. Politics, considered a dirty game, yet is enjoyed at home, in the community and also in the national and international context.

But, in all this elaboration, Dhobi Khola, a stream named so but without the washermen beating away the clothes to cleanse it of dirt, been a sufferer of the first term of this write up.

Isn’t it a wonderful idea or ingenuity of the people in general and the ward concerned in particular for connecting the sewers in such a way that every bit of liquid waste is just made to pour silently, without complaint, into the Dhobi Khola. There’s no noise, no fuss but a noiseless stream. What can the stream do? Nothing, but bear the outrageous onslaught of filth.

The stream for most part is flanked on both sides by motorable roads over embankments—the ever present watchmen lest the stream stray out of its path. That’s humans tying up the body of water in a fixed trajectory.

The wrath of the stream has not been seen in recent times. Maybe it’s tired, shackled by the callousness of the city dwellers living along its banks. What a helpless situation!

Well, the fishes have disappeared. The jackals that used to make their rounds during the night along its banks howling away are nowhere to be seen. Peace reigns unless you consider the screech or the noise of the accelerating vehicles as a normal thing without any effect on your ears.

Above all these irritants, the foremost is the river being used indiscriminately as a garbage dump in the real sense. The use of the rivers for the supply of water for household purposes are no longer the order of the day. Observe anywhere and it’s garbage from end to end. Maybe, if the water, real water not the sewage or industrial waste liquid, were diverted and the whole stretch of Dhobi Khola turned into an official landfill site then it might make some sense.

A nearby dumping site for the garbage generated by the city! What else could one wish for? Go on dumping waste till the river is filled up to the level of the road, then time would be ripe for landgrabbers to turn up to stake their claim. It is obvious then that they would sell them or construct buildings worth millions of rupees apiece. The land, of course, could come for free as they know the tricks of the trade of getting any unclaimed land registered in their name or whomsoever they would like it to go to.

Who cares for the sanctity of the river or the right of the river to flow on its own. No one has cared for Dhobi Khola all these years and no one would do so in the future as well unless there’s a miracle in store. There is so much at stake in the way of a landfill site to last decades, a construction site for residential or commercial complexes together with a clean surrounding over the piles of compressed garbage of all sorts. The idea must generate interest.

It’s a rosy picture all the way for the interested. But, what about the next generation of garbage, sewage among others? Oops, along what route does the Dhobi Khola flow along then? That’s probably a multi-million or billion dollar question to answer which one needs patience to let the cells turn grey. Adieu.