Minister of Employment and Labor Thulas Nxesi said the fight against child labor is about social justice and creating a prosperous future and hope for children.
Minister Nxesi told participants at the Fifth World Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor that South Africa, as a long-standing member of the International Labor Organization (ILO), had always championed global social justice.
“But in South Africa, we also share the vision of the ILO and its member states to transform labor markets and develop a decent working world,” he said.
Mr. Nxesi spoke at a high-level panel discussion on child labor in the face of lack of decent work and youth employment, identifying pressing global challenges and priorities for the international community.
“South Africa takes the issue of child labor very seriously. The country has agreed to the Centenary Declaration on the Future of Work, which is premised on a people-centred approach. It gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to eradication,” Nxesi said.
Meanwhile, Guy Ryder, Director-General of the International Labor Organization, said the fight to eliminate child labor was characterized by “backwards and forwards”.
“My impression over the last 20 years is that we've been a little bit complacent. Until the last 10 years, we were making really good progress. Things are starting to slow down. We have stopped making child labor and its elimination a major policy objective, both nationally and internationally. We talk a lot about child labor and have many programs against child labor. This campaign requires political action.
“We have a global architecture. Nationally we also have commitments and thirdly, we need to involve all stakeholders,” he said.
Rider said global and domestic elements need to be brought into the mix to quickly regain some of the momentum that has been lost.
“Let's not get distracted by very real and broader challenges in the labor market, such as youth unemployment. Let's make sure that all our approaches explicitly address child labor,” he said. .
The conference continues today with discussion on:
- Teachers and their unions have successfully mobilized to get children back to school post-COVID-19.
- Case study on child labor.
- Reduce child labor and forced labor through skills development.
- Responding to child labor in times of crisis.
- The role of education.
- Policy priorities to eliminate child labor in Africa.and
- Expanding business due diligence regarding child labor.
The global conference, to be held at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Conference Center (ICC) in Durban, will include 28 side events and one-hour sessions during the conference, allowing participants to explore key themes related to the event. You can further share your knowledge and experience.
The meeting is scheduled to end on Friday. – SAnews.gov.za
