The Elimination of Child Labour :
An Important Issue for Employers

The IOE and its member federations have been playing an active role at the international and national levels to combat the problem of child labour. The IOE's view is that this phenomenon, particularly in its dangerous and exploitative forms, is intolerable, both for its inhumanity and the negative long-term consequences for the economic and social wellbeing of the children concerned. The fact of employing children has, in a number of contexts, been understood to be positive since through work, children can acquire marketable skills and earn indispensable income for themselves and their families, which can be a necessity in developing countries and in poor families. However, this beneficial or adequate work for children must be clearly contrasted with activities that threaten the health, morals or future development of children and adolescents.


The IOE has also made significant contributions to addressing child labour at the international level: 

• First, the IOE General Council passed a Resolution on child labour in 1996, which set out a framework for action on this important issue.
  
  
• Second, the IOE published a Handbook for Employers on child labour, which was updated in 2000.
  
  
• Third, an IOE Approach to the Challenges in Addressing Child Labour was adopted by the General Council in June 2005.
  
  
• Finally, the IOE has published in cooperation with the ILO a toolkit that provides employers with concrete and practical guidance in addressing the problem of child labour within their workplaces and supply chains.

 
In addition to the foregoing, the IOE continues to promote Conventions No. 138 (Minimum Age Convention, 1973) and No. 182 (Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999).


At the national level, a number of member federations continue to be actively involved in the effort to eliminate child labour, particularly through their involvement in the ILO's International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). The different types of action being taken by them include awareness raising and the development of policy initiatives, action to combat child labour in specific sectors and industries as well as direct support for the removal and rehabilitation of child labour.


Sponsored by the IOE, the U.S. Council for International Business, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in coooperation with the International Labour Organizations. Hosted by the Coca-Cola Company Atlanta (Georgia), February 25, 2009

Agenda of the forum

Adressing Child Labour - Case Studies

Presentations: Tackling Child Labour: Business Approaches and Lessons Learned Cocoa case Study: Public-Private partnership Eliminating Child Labour: Guide for Employers ILO Resources to address Child Labour Child Labour in the Global Economy: the US Legislative Framework on International Child Labour

For more information please contact Barbara León.