ILO launches partnership to eliminate child labour from agriculture

New Delhi, June 11 (UNI) International Labour Organisation has joined forces with five key international agricultural organisations to launch a new landmark global partnership to tackle child labour in agriculture where 132 million children are working in hazardous conditions.

The global partnership would promote the application of laws on child labour in agriculture, especially to ensure that children do not carry out hazardous work in agriculture. It would also endeavour to improve rural livelihoods and mainstream child labour issues into national agricultural policies and programmes, an ILO release said here today.

The partnership would work to reduce the urban, rural and gender gap in education and promote youth employment opportunity in agriculture and rural areas.

It has ILO along with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), Internatioanl Food Policy Research Institute (IFFRI) of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), International Federation of Agriculture Producers (IFAP) and International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering Tobacco and Allied Workers Associations (IUF).

Globally agriculture has the largest number of working children an estimated 70 per cent of whom 132 million girls and boys of age group 5 to 14. These children help producs the food and beverages, crops such as cereals, cocoa, coffee, fruit, palm oil, rice, tea, tobacco and vegetables and also work in raising livestocks etc.

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