The launch provided a platform for African and multiple stakeholders to discuss progress and remaining gaps in addressing child labor on the continent.
The Member States of the United Nations have renewed their commitment with the adoption of United Nations resolution 72/327 which declares 2021 the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor.
In 2021, the global community fighting child labor and forced labor must address the challenges posed by COVID-19 and accelerate progress towards the SDG targets in 2025 and 2030.
In Africa, the regional launch of the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor marked a call to move from commitment to action towards the achievement of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and SDG target 8.7.
In a series of interviews, videos and presentations, partners at the forefront of the fight against child labor discussed their individual interventions and plans on how they intend to contribute to the implementation of the plan. of the African Union.
“The African Union’s Ten Year Plan of Action is ambitious and achievable. Over 10 years (2020-2030), we will all work together to protect the rights of all, including children involved in child labor. C it is up to us to build the future of our continent, ”said Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development HE Amira El Fadil.
With one in five African children already working in 2016, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the continent is expected to push more children to work. Indeed, it is estimated that an increase of one percentage point in poverty leads to an increase of at least 0.7 percentage point in child labor. The general situation is very worrying for families, employers and workers in Africa.
“We must protect the rights of children and encourage their return to school. The African Union’s ten-year action plan must be implemented at all levels to foster the development of the continent and protect the rights of children.” , said Guy Ryder, Director-General of the ILO.
The panelists recognized the complexity and scale of the problem in Africa and discussed the different types of solutions, existing or envisaged, ranging from access to quality education for all, access to social protection, access to decent work for adults, extension of coverage of basic services and awareness raising.
“Today’s event is a demonstration of the existing political will and real commitment to end child labor in Africa,” said Ms. Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, Assistant Director General and Regional Director of ILO for Africa, which called on governments, social partners and other organizations to allocate the necessary budgets for the implementation of the main political priorities identified.
“It should not be seen as a cost. It is an investment. An investment in creating a better future for all,” she continued.
Sharing his experience, Dibou Faye, a child labor activist from Senegal, called on stakeholders to redouble their efforts in tackling child labor in communities for a better future.
“I have been working since the age of 7, I never went to school and at the age of 13 a husband was chosen for me. Today, children without education mean a society without evolution child labor destroys dreams, stifles talent and increases poverty, ”she said.
The event brought together ministers responsible for labor and social protection in Africa, representatives of regional economic commissions, continental bodies such as the AU commissions and the Pan-African Parliament.
In addition to the Economic Community of West African States, five countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Ethiopia, Malawi, Cameroon and Rwanda, described a number of interventions and existing institutional mechanisms, programs and milestones, as well as pilot projects.
Discussing how to better approach political dialogue and strengthen existing mechanisms, stakeholders including ILO Director General Guy Ryder, Alliance President 8.7. and representatives of UNICEF and FAO, as well as Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi, stressed the importance of supporting the AU plan of action and called for stronger commitments.
“I call on you today to contribute to the fight against child labor by committing to action this year and beyond,” said Congolese musician Lokua Kuanza.
Members of the donor community presented multiple interventions across Africa along with their projections and pledges for 2021 and beyond. These include ILO projects such as the Clear Cotton project in Mali and Burkina Faso, which is funded by the European Union, and the Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labor in Supply Chains in Africa project ( Accel Africa), funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The representative of the United States Department of Labor presented their long-standing contribution to the elimination of child labor in Africa through a number of national, regional and global projects. The representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency presented his project on child labor in Ghana and his initiative for the elimination of child labor in the cocoa supply chain in West Africa.
“With the ILO’s vast experience and expertise, we know what works! We also know what doesn’t! Now is the time to act! Now is the time to scale up what we have achieved through pilot projects and interventions, ”said Samuel-Olonjuwon.
Regional, national and organizational stakeholders and individuals have been encouraged to engage by identifying concrete actions they will take by December 2021 to help end child labor. The deadline for submitting commitments is May 15, 2021. As part of the 2021 campaign, leaders are invited to document their efforts and progress throughout the year through videos, interviews, blogs and impact stories.
As part of the next steps, the Minister of Labor of the Republic of South Africa, HE Thembelani Thulas Nxesi, announced that the 2022 Global Conference on Child Labor will be held for the first time in Africa, and will be hosted by South Africa.
“Are you aware that these figures you gave us today on child laborers are not just statistics, but children? These statistics represent real children who are most likely on their way to work, who are actually working or who are coming back from hours of hard work as we speak. The children of Africa and the world have their eyes on you for how you define our future, “said Stacey Fru, a child activist from Africa. South.
Source: ILO
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