As part of the celebrations of World Day Against Child Labour, today, Presidenta Laura Chinchilla signed a public commitment to its eradication.
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The presidenta said that child and adolescent labour is a pest that meets depressed social conditions, which follows the channels of manifestation of poverty and lack of opportunity.
The presidenta added that the State wanted to take this opportunity to articulate two basic areas in the social confrontation against child labour, a task which also claims Costa Rica to be pioneering a nation in the continent.
“The first axis is based on a scientific instrument with quantitative and statistical data taken out of its burrow of this vermin, and put the nail on the head, with the wound fully exposed, showing where, how and why the presence of child labour in Costa Rica”, said Chinchilla.
While the second axis “is the strengthening of the administrative, legal, political and social problems that our nation seeks our children to a safe childhood, attend school or college and have free time, food and health needs for their full emotional, intellectual and human development”, stressed the presidenta.
The government’s commitment is aided by contributions of the state telecom, the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) in supporting the efforts of the Ministerio de Trabajo (Labour ministry) in an awareness campaing on the issue of prevention and eradication of child labour and protection for adolescent workers.
In addition, the programs at the CENADA (Centro Nacional de Abastecimieto y Distribucion de Alimentos) and Ferias de Agricultor (Farmer Fairs) to eliminate child labour in all forms.
World Day Against Child Labour – 12 June
Hundreds of millions of girls and boys throughout the world are engaged in work that deprives them of adequate education, health, leisure and basic freedoms, violating their rights. Of these children, more than half are exposed to the worst forms of child labour such as work in hazardous environments, slavery, or other forms of forced labour, illicit activities such as drug trafficking and prostitution, as well as involvement in armed conflict.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the first World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 as a way to highlight the plight of these children. The day, which is observed on June 12th, is intended to serve as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labour, reflected in the huge number of ratifications of ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour and ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for employment.
The World Day Against Child Labour provides and opportunity to gain further support of individual governments and that of the ILO social partners, civil society and others, including schools, youth and women’s groups as well as the media, in the campaign against child labo
Courtesy: Inside Costa Rica
