By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Speakers have urged Pakistan to take measures for the elimination of child and forced labor.
In this regard, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations organised a workshop in collaboration with the International Labor Organization (ILO) titled ‘Elimination of Child Labor in agriculture, garments and value chains in Pakistan”.
Child labor
ILO Country Director to Pakistan Khemphone Phaokhamkeo said that work on child labor has remained a priority for the ILO since its establishment. Pakistan has ratified 36 international conventions addressing child and forced labor, Phaokhamkeo said adding that Pakistan should take steps to comply with these conventions.
“Pakistan needs to pay more attention to the issue of child and forced labor and their access to quality education, healthy life, and social safety,” she said.
FAO Representative to Pakistan Florence Rolle said: “The number of the out-of-schoolchildren in Pakistan is shocking. “We need to address this issue on priority. The agricultural sector in Pakistan hires 70 per cent of total child labor and the FAO is concerned. In the agricultural sector, children are more exposed to pesticides that are dangerous to their health,” Rolle said.
Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development Deputy Secretary Azhar Iqbal Malik said that a survey for mapping child labor in Pakistan is under way, which will help determine the causes involving child labor. He said that Pakistan has rectified international treaties to counter child and forced labor and the government was fully determined to implement them.
