Child labour
ILO and Syria Review Legislation to Bolster National Response to Child Labour
A comprehensive review of legislation by the ILO, government officials as well as workers’ and employers’ organizations has fed into Syria’s national action plan to combat child labour
Recommendations of an ILO workshop with government officials, workers’ and employers’ organizations in the Syrian Arab Republic have been integrated into the country’s national action plan to combat child labour, according to Rakan al-Ibrahim, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs and Labour. The two-day workshop included representatives from Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MOSAL), industrial and agricultural labour inspectors, Occupational Safety and Health officers, the General Federation of Trade Unions, and the Federation of Chambers of Industry.
The workshop focused on enhancing the compliance of national legislation in line with international standards, including ILO Convention No.138 on Minimum Age and ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. During the workshop, participants’ reviewed information and relevant skill sets available to apply ILO conventions and International Labour Standards in the Syrian context, alongside equivalent texts in national legislation. Other topics covered included the role of labour inspectors in combating child labour, collecting data on working children during inspection visits, and the development a national action plan to combat child labour, particularly in its worst forms.
As part of the review the Director of Planning and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour Wadah al-Rakkad, revised international mechanisms to combat child Labour and explained the 27 international conventions and recommendations related to child labour. He also reviewed the achievements, challenges, and proposals related to the role of the tripartite joint committees. Representative of the Damascus Chamber of Industry Ayman Mawlawi, presented the role of the Chamber of Industry in combating child labour, including recent achievements, current challenges, and future plans. General Federation of Trade Unions representative Bashir al-Halbouni also presented the most prominent laws related to children's rights.
The workshop was part of the ILO project entitled Adopting a Multi-sectoral Approach to Fighting Child Labour & Addressing Multiple Vulnerabilities in two Governorates in Syria which works to combat child labour in Syria through rehabilitation assistance for children, particularly those involved in the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
The workshop focused on enhancing the compliance of national legislation in line with international standards, including ILO Convention No.138 on Minimum Age and ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. During the workshop, participants’ reviewed information and relevant skill sets available to apply ILO conventions and International Labour Standards in the Syrian context, alongside equivalent texts in national legislation. Other topics covered included the role of labour inspectors in combating child labour, collecting data on working children during inspection visits, and the development a national action plan to combat child labour, particularly in its worst forms.
As part of the review the Director of Planning and International Cooperation at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour Wadah al-Rakkad, revised international mechanisms to combat child Labour and explained the 27 international conventions and recommendations related to child labour. He also reviewed the achievements, challenges, and proposals related to the role of the tripartite joint committees. Representative of the Damascus Chamber of Industry Ayman Mawlawi, presented the role of the Chamber of Industry in combating child labour, including recent achievements, current challenges, and future plans. General Federation of Trade Unions representative Bashir al-Halbouni also presented the most prominent laws related to children's rights.
The workshop was part of the ILO project entitled Adopting a Multi-sectoral Approach to Fighting Child Labour & Addressing Multiple Vulnerabilities in two Governorates in Syria which works to combat child labour in Syria through rehabilitation assistance for children, particularly those involved in the Worst Forms of Child Labour.