ILO Social Partners sharing knowledge on Child Labour in the Pacific
The ILO Office for Pacific Island Countries successfully concluded a four day forum in Nadi on 16th of April, 2015 with commitments made by tripartite stakeholders to collaborate and work on the child labour issues in their respective countries.
Organized by the Tackling Child Labour through Education (TACKLE II) project and funded by the European Union in Fiji, the Sub-regional Forum on Child Labour and Trafficking brought together tripartite stakeholders plus the media from five countries, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
With the intention of sharing knowledge and innovative approaches to combating child labour in the Pacific, the forum also looked at the role of the media in raising awareness on the issue of child labour and trafficking and developing country and regional level strategies for combating child labour and trafficking. Some of the best practices shared through the forum were the direct intervention strategies, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, awareness raising strategies, development of resource materials, conducting training and development of National Action Plans to combat child labour from 2008 to 2014.
Direct intervention strategies have included prevention approaches undertaken by the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) through provision of assistance to children, families and schools to keep at risk children in school whilst a Bridging Programme was also piloted through the Peoples Community Network (PCN) for out of school children.
The Samoa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) also highlighted resources developed through collaboration with the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) for employers to eliminate child labour in the workplace. These actions also highlighted the complicated nature of the problem and the challenges faced when trying to eradicate child labour.
The setting up of a dedicated Child Labour Unit at the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations (MEPIR) has been a key milestone for Fiji Mr. Atish Kumar from the Child Labout Unit has been involved in training of labour inspectors in Kiribati on child labour as a follow up activity to the Rapid Assessment report for Kiribati.Mr. Kumar discussed the complex nature of dealing with cases of child labour and the challenges faced by labour inspectors.
One of the issues highlighted was the rise in the worst forms of child labour, especially through trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) within the region. TACKLE II also focusses on CSEC issues and addressing these through collaborative approaches with tripartite partners and other stakeholders and improving practices currently in place with the intension of sharing these with the region through South to South agency cooperation.
With the intention of sharing knowledge and innovative approaches to combating child labour in the Pacific, the forum also looked at the role of the media in raising awareness on the issue of child labour and trafficking and developing country and regional level strategies for combating child labour and trafficking. Some of the best practices shared through the forum were the direct intervention strategies, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, awareness raising strategies, development of resource materials, conducting training and development of National Action Plans to combat child labour from 2008 to 2014.
Direct intervention strategies have included prevention approaches undertaken by the Fiji Trades Union Congress (FTUC) through provision of assistance to children, families and schools to keep at risk children in school whilst a Bridging Programme was also piloted through the Peoples Community Network (PCN) for out of school children.
The Samoa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) also highlighted resources developed through collaboration with the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation (FCEF) for employers to eliminate child labour in the workplace. These actions also highlighted the complicated nature of the problem and the challenges faced when trying to eradicate child labour.
The setting up of a dedicated Child Labour Unit at the Ministry of Employment, Productivity and Industrial Relations (MEPIR) has been a key milestone for Fiji Mr. Atish Kumar from the Child Labout Unit has been involved in training of labour inspectors in Kiribati on child labour as a follow up activity to the Rapid Assessment report for Kiribati.Mr. Kumar discussed the complex nature of dealing with cases of child labour and the challenges faced by labour inspectors.
One of the issues highlighted was the rise in the worst forms of child labour, especially through trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) within the region. TACKLE II also focusses on CSEC issues and addressing these through collaborative approaches with tripartite partners and other stakeholders and improving practices currently in place with the intension of sharing these with the region through South to South agency cooperation.