ILO proposes policies to end child labour by 2025

The ILO has called for  increased efforts to consign child labour to the dustbin of history by the year 2025.

The organisation made the call in a report released to coincide with the global conference on the sustained eradication of child Labour, held in Buenos Aires from 14 to 16 November.

“We are moving in the right direction, but we have to do so at a much faster rate,” the ILO said in its report “Ending childlabour by 2025: A review of policies and programmes”.

The report listed four key policy pillars in the fight against childlabour which include: Boosting legal protections, improving the governance of labour markets and family enterprises,  strengthening social protection and investing in free, quality education.

The ILO stated that legislation alone cannot eradicate child labour, but at the same time, it won’t be possible to eradicate childlabour without effective legislation.

More than 99.9 per cent of the world’s children aged 5-17 years are covered by the ILO’s Convention 1999 (No. 182) on Worst Forms of Child, which has been ratified by 181 country, including Nigeria.

Also widely ratified is the Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment, 1973 (No. 138), which 170 countries have ratified.

But the organisation said, “Turning these standards into national laws remains a major challenge, as is ensuring effective monitoring and enforcement of existing child labour laws. There is also a need for stronger labour inspection systems as it rarely reaches workplaces in the informal economy, where most child labour is found.”

The ILO explained that jobs for adults and youth of legal working age with a fair income and security, would discourage many households from resorting to child labour to meet basic needs or to deal with economic uncertainty.

Besides, it pointed out that  well-designed labour market policies focused on where most childlabour persists – in the rural economy and the informal economy – can help curb the demand for child labour.

At the same time, it pointed out that, establishing regulatory frameworks is critical to addressing child labour in supply chains.

“Continued progress against child labour requires policies that help mitigate the economic vulnerability of households,” it added.