Labour Ministry working to eliminate child labour
Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton
Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton

THOUGH challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have affected monitoring of work places, Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton has assured that regressions in the fight against child labour would not be allowed to happen. The minister highlighted this as he made remarks on Friday at the Ministry of Labour (MoL)’s launch of World Day Against Child Labour at its Brickdam Office. Also attending the event was MoL Permanent Secretary, Bishram Kuppen; UNICEF Guyana and Suriname Representative, Irfan Akhtar, and Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Vindyha Persaud. Celebrated annually on June 12, the World Day Against Child Labour was first launched in 2002 by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), and aims to raise awareness and activism on the prevention of child labour. It was supported by ratifications of ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for employment and ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour. “The current COVID-19 crisis threatens to reverse years of progress in tackling child labour. According to the ILO, the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting economic and labour market shocks are having a huge impact on people’s lives and livelihoods. Unfortunately, children are often the first to suffer. This crisis can push millions of vulnerable children into child labour,” the minister stated. This year’s theme is “Act now: end child Labour.” Additionally, 2021 has been earmarked as International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 and subsequently launched by the ILO.

“Like the ILO, Guyana recognizes freedom from child labour as a fundamental human right. Fighting child labour has been of utmost priority for Guyana,” Minister Hamilton said.
He added: “In Guyana, the fight against child labour continues unabated by the Ministry of Labour. The ministry has been utilizing every opportunity to address the issue of child labour and every effort is being made to achieve target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in taking positive actions to eliminate child labour.”
SDG 8.7 calls for countries to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, ending child labour in all its forms by 2025.
“While our goals still remain to end child labour by 2025 and end forced labour, human trafficking, and modern slavery by 2030, we do recognize that the global spread of the COVID-19 virus is threatening progress and there is dire need to maintain focus,” the minister acknowledged.

“The Government of Guyana believes that the time has come to end child labour and it is time to accelerate the pace of the much needed progress,” he added.
The ILO had estimated that between 2000 and 2016, there was a 38% decrease in child labour globally.
Over the past 20 years, almost 100 million children have been freed from child labour; however, approximately 160 million children across the world are estimated to still be engaged in child labour, with agriculture, services, and industries being some of the most prevalent sectors where the issue exists.
The minister ended by noting that: “The Ministry of Labour is committed to the fight against child labour and will continue to engage and collaborate with stakeholders in the public and private sectors and non-governmental organisations as we work assiduously towards its elimination in Guyana.”

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