New Delhi, November 20 - A report released today by the Global March Against Child Labour shows the shocking exploitation of children in almost every part of the world. From rich country to poor, there seems to be no escape for children suffering in the worst forms of child labour.
Issued a day after ILO Convention 182 comes into legal force, the report presents a clear and urgent agenda to the world community. It is the first ever comprehensive country-by-country review of the problems of child slavery, child prostitution, child soldiers, and other hazardous child labour.
The Global March will be looking for governments, international agencies, and ordinary people to use the information in "Out of the Shadows: A Worldwide Report on the Worst Forms of Child Labour" to initiate concrete programs to protect children. With thousands of partners in 140 countries, the Global March is the single largest movement on behalf of the world's 250 million child labourers. The movement was instrumental in the establishment of ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour.
"We did not march 80,000 km just to have nice words put on a piece of paper. We are determined to see that these promises make a real difference in the lives of exploited children," said Kailash Satyarthi, Chairperson of the Global March. "This report is the voice of millions of children calling for help."
"Out of the Shadows", is now available online through the website, "www.globalmarch.org". Some of the disturbing data in the report includes:
* 5,000 children between 6 and 14 years of age were recently found in secret and illegal workshops in Guatemala City. They were being used for the manufacture of fireworks and other explosive products.
* Half of the prostitutes on the streets of Sudbury, Canada are under 15 years old, and some are as young as 11.
* 3,000 Albanian children have been trafficked to Italy and Greece to be used for begging and cleaning windows and cars without pay.
* An estimated 400,000 children under 15 are working as full-time domestic servants in Jakarta, Indonesia.
* In a single district of Uganda, 4,000 children have been abducted to fight as child soldiers in the Lord's Resistance Army.
The report not only documents the situation in every single country, but also shows what can and is being done against child labour. The report suggests many constructive steps that governments, businesses, trade unions, NGOs, and children themselves can take to address the problem. It also reviews the efforts that governments have made since the unanimous adoption of Convention 182 in June of last year. The report will be an invaluable tool for everyone working towards a world free of child exploitation.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Global March International Secretariat Address: L-6 Kalkaji, New Delhi-19, INDIA Telephone: (91 11) 622-4899, 647-5481 Fax: (91 11) 623-6818 E-mail: yatra@del2.vsnl.net.in, childhood@globalmarch.org Website: www.globalmarch.org:
