Joint Call for equal, inclusive and transparent children’s participation at the V Global Conference on Child Labour

 

Joint Call for equal, inclusive and transparent children’s participation at the V Global Conference on Child Labour

15^th-20^th May 2022, Durban/ South Africa

This public statement comes from working children’s representatives, NGOs, researchers and academia, individual persons dedicated to support working children etc …complete when ready. It addresses the organisers of the upcoming V Global Conference on Child Labour, particularly the South African Government and the ILO.

It is with great interest and support that we notice the preparations for a Children’s Forum at the V Global Conference on Child Labour in Durban/ South Africa (15^th-20^th May 2022). Child Ambassadors will be selected prior to the conference to speak on behalf of working children worldwide and represent their views in dialogues with all stakeholders. This is fully in line with the right of each child to be heard in all matters affecting their lives as enshrined in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, we encourage children’s participation also in broader sessions at the conference, e.g. as panelists in the thematic panel discussions, in which they can share their rich experience and knowledge in dialogues with all stakeholders involved.

In 2009, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child adopted nine Basic Requirements for effective, ethical and meaningful participation of children in “all processes in which a child or children are heard and participate” (CRC/C/GC/12). These processes need to be (1) transparent and informative, (2) voluntary, (3) respectful, (4) relevant, (5) child-friendly, (6) inclusive, (7) supported by training (for adults), (8) safe and sensitive to risk and (9) accountable.

We call on the conference organisers to ensure equal, inclusive and transparent selection processes through the application of these Basic Requirements. From our point of view, it is particularly important to ensure:

·        Equal representation of children from different workplaces (formal/ informal, paid/ unpaid, self-employed/ contract-based, rural/urban, organised/ non-organised etc.),

·        Equal involvement of the most vulnerable groups, including: stateless, refugee, migrant and displaced children, children with disabilities and children from indigenous communities,

·        Equitable representation of the world regions (with opportunities for more representatives from regions where there are higher numbers of working children and social movements of working children).

We recognise that this demands a lot of resources and time invest. We herewith offer our joint support in helping to ensure effective, ethical and meaningful participation of children at the V Global Conference on Child Labour.

 

Contact: DW/TDH/KNH

Signatories: