Durban to host international conference on child labour
More than 4,000 delegates are expected to take part in the event from May 15-20
05 May 2022 - 18:28
by Staff Writer
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President Cyril Ramaphosa will open a global conference in Durban aimed at helping to eliminate child labour. Picture: AMANDA KHOZA
A global conference to help find ways to eliminate child labour will be held in Durban from May 15-20.
This is the first time the global conference on the elimination of child labour will be held in Africa. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), more than 160-million children are labourers. More than a third of them are out of school.
Agriculture is said to account for the largest share of child labour worldwide.
“The time is opportune for the global community to converge on African soil to find solutions that will help our continent, in particular, to deal with the reported highest prevalence and largest number of working children,” employment & labour minister Thulas Nxesi said.
The conference will take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to open the conference. He will share the stage with Southern African Development Community chairperson and Malawian president Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, ILO director-general Guy Ryder and virtually, Argentina president Alberto Ángel Fernández Pérez.
The conference will be attended by ILO constituents, international and regional organisations, civil society organisations, research institutions, foundations, individual experts and Nobel laureates.
“After the devastating natural disaster that befell KwaZulu-Natal and Durban in past weeks, it is important that we hold the conference in eThekwini as a show of support and solidarity with the people of the province and SA,” Nxesi said.
“As part of that show of solidarity, the conference organisers took a decision to forego the usual social events.” The resources which could have been used for social events would be donated to flood victims, he said.
More than 4,000 delegates, half of whom will attend in person, are expected to discuss good practice, identify gaps and the urgent measures needed to help child labourers.
The ILO describes the term “child labour” as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children and interferes with their schooling.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Durban to host international conference on child labour
More than 4,000 delegates are expected to take part in the event from May 15-20
A global conference to help find ways to eliminate child labour will be held in Durban from May 15-20.
This is the first time the global conference on the elimination of child labour will be held in Africa. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), more than 160-million children are labourers. More than a third of them are out of school.
Agriculture is said to account for the largest share of child labour worldwide.
“The time is opportune for the global community to converge on African soil to find solutions that will help our continent, in particular, to deal with the reported highest prevalence and largest number of working children,” employment & labour minister Thulas Nxesi said.
The conference will take place at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to open the conference. He will share the stage with Southern African Development Community chairperson and Malawian president Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, ILO director-general Guy Ryder and virtually, Argentina president Alberto Ángel Fernández Pérez.
The conference will be attended by ILO constituents, international and regional organisations, civil society organisations, research institutions, foundations, individual experts and Nobel laureates.
“After the devastating natural disaster that befell KwaZulu-Natal and Durban in past weeks, it is important that we hold the conference in eThekwini as a show of support and solidarity with the people of the province and SA,” Nxesi said.
“As part of that show of solidarity, the conference organisers took a decision to forego the usual social events.” The resources which could have been used for social events would be donated to flood victims, he said.
More than 4,000 delegates, half of whom will attend in person, are expected to discuss good practice, identify gaps and the urgent measures needed to help child labourers.
The ILO describes the term “child labour” as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children and interferes with their schooling.
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