Roadmap to eradicate child labour by 2016

by Thulasi MUTTULINGAM

The government, together with the International Labour Organisation has formulated a Roadmap to eradicate the worst forms of child labour in Sri Lanka by 2016. The groundwork for this was laid at the Global Conference on Child Labour held in May 2010 at the Hague.

Eighty member countries participated at the conference and adopted a roadmap to eradicate the worst forms of child labour globally by 2016.

The Sri Lankan delegation, headed by the Minister for Labour Relations and Productivity Promotion, Gamini Lokuge, had pledged to join the global movement and put in place its own Roadmap by 2016.

A conference was held at the Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel on June 21 - 23, to mark this event and to bring together several affiliated ministries such as those in charge of Child Development and Women’s Affairs, education, judiciary, social welfare and youth employment as well as related organisations such as employers’ and workers’ associations to coordinate and be updated on the roadmap.

The theme at the conference was ‘Zero Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2016 - Sharing experiences to achieve the goal.

Minister Lokuge was the Chief Guest.The three day conference included presentations on the following topics:

Overcoming the ChallengesTourism - Making tourism child friendly to avoid the potential to draw children into the worst forms of child labour.

Child Trafficking and Migration - Preventing trafficking and making migration safe for older children and families Plantations. Post-conflict Socio-Economic Reintegration - Challenges and strategies to overcome them.