Elimination of child labour prerequisite to achieve SDGs

LALITPUR: Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Sharat Singh Bhandari called for elimination of child labor in Nepal to establish itself as a model in the international stage.

At a national dialogue on ‘child labor in agriculture’ organized by the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security in Lalitpur today, Minister Bhandari shared that Nepal addressed the issues of child labor in compliance with the international conventions and through the country’s constitution, Acts, laws and procedures.

Stating that there are many child labourers in agriculture sectors, Bhandari expressed his concern over the dismal number of school-going children in several places, especially in Dolpa district and some places in Madhesh Province.

He viewed that this situation needs to be changed and stressed the need to eliminate child labor in practice so as to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Emphasizing close coordination among three-tier government to abolish child labor, the Minister also pointed out that until child labor is eliminated in the local level, the provincial and federal governments also cannot declare a child-labor free nation.

He highlighted the importance of raising awareness and practical approaches such sensitizing those communities for whom the legislations are put in place and enabling an environment wherein children can go to school to eliminate child labor.

Similarly, Dr Govinda Prasad Sharma, Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, said that the prevailing social behaviors and practices were major contributors to child labor in the agriculture sector.
Chakrapani Pandey, Joint-Secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, shared that 87 per cent child labor was in agriculture sector and underlined the need to legally define it properly and publicize it to end child labor.

Jitendra Sharma, Joint-Secretary at the same ministry, shared that more than 160 million children around the world were working as child laborers and over 79 millions of them were involved in hazardous works. He also mentioned that 70 per cent of the global child laborers were working in agriculture sector.

When it comes to Nepal, Sharma informed that Karnali Province had the highest number of children working in the agriculture sector at 12 per cent while Bagmati had the lowest at 8.9 per cent.

The Constitution of Nepal in the Article 39 guarantees child rights and prohibits employing juvenile as a laborer.
Furthermore, several legal frameworks at national and international levels also forbid employing children below 18 years in hazardous works.