Children Working on the Street

1. Children Workingon the Street Yoshie NOGUCHI, Senior legal officer, IPEC International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

2. Contents • Children “working” on the street • General overview on child labour • What is child labour (CL), and its worst forms (WFCL)? • Challenges/lessons in addressing CL and WFCL on the street • Data collection: CL on the street • Eliminating WFCL by 2016 ! International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

3. Children “Working” on the street • Economic activities • selling small objects, • shoe-shining, • portering • Sexual exploitation (prostitution) • Illicit activities • scavenging, • begging • Criminal acts • drug dealing, • pick-pocketing International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

4. Child labour statistics • 215 million in child labour, globally • 115 million of these children in hazardous work International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

5. ILO Global Report 2010 • Child labour continues to decline, [3% decline between 2004-2008] but more modestly than previously [10% decline between 2000-2004] • On present trends, the goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016 will not be reached International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

6. Different trends: girls and boys • Fewer girls are now in child labour. • declined by 15%. • Worrying trend for boys • Increase by 20% among older boys (15-17)in hazardous work International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

7. Regional trends Asia and Pacific – significant reduction down to 96m (14.8 % of children) Latin America and Caribbean – slight reduction down to 10m (9%) Sub Saharan Africa – further increase to 58m (28.4%) No separate figure for Europe or developed countries – lack of surveys International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

8. CRC and child labour • The right to be protected from economic exploitation (§32) = the protection fromchild labour (ILS) • The right to education,health … • Non-discrimination • Two issues under the Op Protocols(sexual exploitation, armed conflict)= Worst Forms of Child Labour International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

9. What is Child Labour? Child labour to be eliminated = • Worst Forms of Child Labour (C182)and • Work done by a child below the minimum age for that kind of work(specified by national law, in line with C138 and CRC article 32(2)) See: UN SG Report to GA 2009 [A/64/127] International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

10. What is child labour? 18y 14/15/16 International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

11. Worst Forms of Child Labour • Children in slavery, forced or compulsory labour, child trafficking Including debt bondage, forced recruitment for use in armed conflict • Children used in prostitution and pornography • Children used in illicit activities • Children in hazardous work See : ILO C182, Article 3 International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

12. C 182: coverage • All sectors of economic activitywithout any exception • Girls and boys under 18 years • Special attention for most vulnerable e.g. minorities, girls, very young, and on the street ! • Worst forms of child labour as urgent priority target for action International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

13. Child labour and its worst forms on the street • Forced labour, including in begging, child trafficking • Sexual exploitation • The use of children in illicit activities or crime (e.g. drugs) • hazardous work= “work likely to jeopardize/harm a child’s health, safety or morals” International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

14. Challenges in addressing child labour on the street • Outside the scope of “child labour” legislation- absence of an employer, or formal relation- not considered in the “hazardous work” list • The children may be perceived as delinquents rather than victims of WFCL • Interest in / access to education ? • “Decent Work” prospect for these children ? • Social protection measures may focus adults or families: e.g. Cash Transfer, income support • Maybe lacking ID, birth certificate, legal status... International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

15. Some good practice examples • Listing “street vending” among the hazardous work and prohibit for children (Lebanon) • Comprehensive rehabilitation for girls on the street and/or at risk of sexual exploitation (Russian Federation) • Mobile schools: facilitating the transition from street to school (Romania) • Mobilizing public action by raising awareness among teachers and students (Paraguay) – SCREAM (Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, the Arts and the Media) methods International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

16. Some lessons learned • Clearly define “what is not acceptable” in labour, criminal, or children’s rights or other laws; • Consider and address difficulties of enforcement • Raise awareness among stakeholders of the specific risks [of working street girls]; thus help raise the issue higher on the political agenda • Gradually prepare the children for social / family integration • Involve government entities from the beginning, giving them ownership • Mobilize children and young people; conveying the message to the public (families, community and institutions) and also the business community • Respect and adapt to the socio-economic and cultural characteristics of each country and each community International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

17. Child labour statistics SIMPOC* (Statistical Information and Monitoring Programme on Child Labour) help countries in : • household-based surveys, • establishment-based surveys, • baseline surveys, and • rapid assessments [* www.ilo.org/ipec/ChildlabourstatisticsSIMPOC ] International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

18. Child labour statistics (2) • Need to develop methodologies • Need to define concepts for statistical operation < legal definitions • Resolution by the 18thInternational Conference of Labour Statisticians concerning statistics of child labour (ICLS Resolution) - 2008 International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

19. Challenges in collecting data on child labour on the street • Household-based surveys can gather information only on children living with their family and working on the street • Establishment-based surveys may not cover any child labour on the street • Children’s accessibility, availability and interest in the data collection International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

20. Rapid Assessment • Methodology jointly developed by ILO and UNICEF • Especially useful for some WFCL • Qualitative information obtained through a rapid assessment will apply with certainty only to the limited sample population and context [See: manuals available on SIMPOC website] International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

21. Capture-Recapture method • See the UCW example(Study on child beggars in Dakar) • Previously used (2002 Global Report on Child Labour) in estimating the scale of the WFCL other than hazardous work – a huge challenge for us all in CL statistics International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

22. Ethical considerations in child labour data collection • The best interest of the child Pre-research issues • Assess the safety risk to the child of participating in the survey (and to the researchers): especially for children exploited in / by organize crime • Informed consent for all interviews; in a child-sensitive way; with the right to say “No” at any time International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

23. Ethical considerations in child labour data collection (2) Issues during research • Language and logic: to avoid jargon and adapted to each child (age, sex, culture…) • Trust: to be built patiently on relationship • Conditions of listening: carefully, with positive and neutral expression • Pay and promises: consider carefully Post –research issues • Right to privacy / sharing info & outcome International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

24. Accelerating action against child labour • an increased global effortto tackle child labour and • enhanced Government commitment • reach out to children at special risk: e.g. on the street ! International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

25. Further measures • international cooperation • social dialogue and cooperation= Partnership with business and trade unions • advocacy and mobilisation • decent work for youth/adults International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

26. The Global Action Plan • Eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016 ! • Roadmap 2010 (The Hague) • Attention: children on the street International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

27. Thank you for your attention ! International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour 4, Route des Morillons CH-1211 Geneva 22 Switzerland Tel.: (+41 - 22) 799 81 81 Fax: (+41 - 22) 799 87 71 E-mail: ipec@ilo.org Child labour website: http://www.ilo.org/ipec International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour