Government describes efforts to eradicate child labour as national duty

 February 19, 2018

Vice President U Myint Swe, in his capacity as Chairman of Myanmar National Committee on Child Labour Eradication, attended and addressed the first coordination meeting of the Myanmar National Committee on Child Labour Eradication. The meeting was held at the meeting hall of the Ministry for Labour, Immigration and Population, Nay Pyi Taw, yesterday morning.

In his address at the meeting, the Vice President said the 37 members of the Myanmar National Committee on Child Labour Eradication, led by vice president (1), had been formed through the President’s office Notice No. 23/2018 on 5 February 2018 and was given eight assignments, which were to form work committees to implement the national-level programme for Myanmar child labour eradication project; preparing a policy for important works of the project, issuing of notifications, regularly assessing the work of the committee, reviewing the work of the committee every six months and providing the necessary guidelines; managing of coordination between the relevant ministries, governments of states/regions and self-administered zones; cooperating with local and international organisations on child labour eradication; maintaining the donated cash and kind from international organisations, donors and local organisations; and managing and reporting to the government annually on the implementation of project aims.

The global population of youth who can work is 18 per cent, that is some 1 billion, and the world’s youth are seen to be facing the bad effects of differences in the economical, social, technological and cultural environment in the countries within a region and in the society.

There are some 152 million children between 5 and 17 years in the world, of which 7.4 per cent live in the Asia-Pacific region, and some 70.9 per cent work in the agricultural sector. Of these, some 73 million are working in dangerous places.

Some 85 per cent of the world’s youth are in developing countries, and 60 per cent are in the Asian region. The youth and children’s development sectors are important in determining the future of a country and are valuable resources for the country.

Youth and children who support the production resources are used in most of the developing countries, especially in a developing country like Myanmar, which is connected to poverty and can be seen employing child labour, the Vice President said.

It can be seen that a country’s economic development, rise in social status and educational development is directly linked to child labour. Children and youth unable to complete their education enter the work force at a young age and are exploited in most developing countries, because of food insufficiency due to natural disasters from climate change, as well as the existence of poverty and migration due to some internal conflicts and socio-economic hardships.

Everyone knows that the government is reforming with increased momentum the development of the political, economical and social sector, while prioritising the achievement of countrywide peace.

Similar to other regional ASEAN countries, Myanmar ratified the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labour and can be seen cooperating with ILO and the UNICEF.

All are urged to actively coordinate and discuss the setup for future works of the project to eradicate child labour in Myanmar, said the Vice President.

Next, Vice Chairman of Myanmar National Committee on Child Labour Eradication and Union Minister for Labour, Immigration and Population U Thein Swe gave a preliminary explanation about the project to eradicate child labour in Myanmar.

The committee secretary, joint secretary and meeting attendees then explained matters related to the eradication of child labour.

In his concluding speech at the meeting, the Vice President said eight work committees and a secretariat were formed to implement the agreed work processes at today’s meeting, and the states/regions governments must form child labour eradicating committees systematically.

The national committee’s secretariat is urged to submit at the next meeting the child labour eradication work programme (draft) so that it can be approved. “The project to eradicate child labour in Myanmar involves everybody, and all are urged to cooperate and implement it as a national duty,” said the Vice President and concluded the meeting.

Also present at the meeting were Union Ministers Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe, Lt-Gen Ye Aung, Dr. Pe Myint, Dr. Aung Thu, U Thein Swe, U Khin Maung Cho, Dr. Than Myint, Dr. Myo Thein Gyi, Dr. Myint Htwe, U Han Zaw, Dr. Win Myat Aye and U Kyaw Tin; Union Attorney-General U Tun Tun Oo; Nay Pyi Taw Council Chairman Dr. Myo Aung; Chief Ministers of states/regions Dr. Khet Aung, Daw Nang Khin Htwe Myint, Dr. Myint Naing, Dr. Lei Lei Maw, U Win Thein, Dr. Aung Moe Nyo, Dr. Zaw Myint Maung, U Nyi Pu, U Phyo Min Thein, Dr. Lin Htut and U Hla Moe Aung; Deputy Minister U Set Aung; states/regions ministers; committee members Yangon Mayor U Maung Maung Soe and Mandalay Mayor Dr. Ye Lwin; Confederation of Trade Unions Myanmar President U Maung Maung; Myanmar Farmers Agriculture and Foodstuff Workers Union Chairman U Kyi Thu; and officials and representatives of the Myanmar Industry and Service Workers’ Union, Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Myanmar Red Cross Society.

Myanmar News Agency

Ref; The Global New Light of Myanmar