HRCP demands end to child labour

Lahore, May 19: A workshop by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), on Child Labour, was organized at their offices on Thursday, May 19^th.  In attendance were prominent civil society organizations, focusing on the rights of children, activist and representing the government Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB).

Pakistan being a signatory to many international conventions of the rights of children – United Nations Committee on the rights of children (2009), various ILO conventions and local constitutional and governmental legislations – has yet to create an effective implementation and enforcement mechanism.

Recently, despite some positive measures by the government; provision of educational subsidies, efforts to remove child labour from brick kilns – much remains to be done.

The following critical areas where governmental focus and intervention is required are:

•      A comprehensive survey of child labour needs to be carried out.  Unlike earlier survey this should be inclusive of agricultural and domestic workers, who constitute a significant portion of child labour.  The survey need to go beyond basic household data, in capturing actual hubs where child labour is engaged.
• Article 25 A of the Constitution, the right to education, needs to be implemented in both letter and spirit.
• Legislation entailing the registration and documentation of Street children need to be formulated and facilities for their shelter provided.
•    The current state of public education, especially the depleted condition of schools, needs review by the government.  The role of public education should be to provide a plausible alternate to child employment.
•      The government should be cognizant of the fact that, child labour constitutes an integral part of Generalised Scheme of Preference (GSP+) regime and needs to be addressed if economic benefits through trade with the European Union are to be retained.

1. A. Rehman

Secretary-General

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Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
107-Tipu Block, New Garden Town, Lahore - 54600
Phone: (92-42) 35845969 Fax: (92-42) 35883582
eMail: hrcp@hrcp-web.org

Category: English