Nepal has renewed its pledge to eradicate forced labour, human trafficking and child labour in line with the targets of the United Nations\u2019 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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On the opening day of a three-day Asia Regional Conference of Alliance 8.7, a global partnership that strives to eliminate all forms of forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour in member countries, the Nepal government reiterated its pledge to eradicate these social evils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Nepal government is fully committed toward combating the complex issue of eliminating child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in all forms,\u201d Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista said while addressing the inaugural session of the conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cForced labour, human trafficking and child labour are crimes against humanity and they seriously violate human rights. In Nepal, we recognise these crimes as crimes against the state,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bista also said that Nepal government was committed to providing the best possible care and protection to innocent children who are the country\u2019s future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Forced labour, human trafficking and child labour continue to be the leading challenges in ensuring human rights across the world. Globally, it\u2019s estimated that there may be as many as 40 million people enmeshed in modern slavery, 152 million children in child labour and 24.8 million people in forced labour. The number of child labourers and forced labourers is an estimated 62.1 million and 16.5 million, respectively, in the Asia-Pacific region, including Nepal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis signifies the urgent and effective action on the part of all the actors and stakeholders in a more innovative and timely manner with visible and tangible outcomes,\u201d said Bista.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite recent actions in combating forced labour, human trafficking and child labour, these\u00a0problems continue to plague the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the National Labour Force Survey 2017-18, unveiled by the Central Bureau of Statistics in April, a total of\u00a031,338 individuals are in forced labour in Nepal. People are in forced labour, according to the survey, for 2.6 years in an average. Of the total people in forced labour, 56 percent are male, and 17 percent are children, the survey said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Likewise, Nepali girls, women and children are\u00a0still vulnerable to various forms of human trafficking\u00a0despite legal protections and law enforcing agencies in action to protect them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The survey\u00a0also reported that of the approximately 7 million children aged between 5 and 17 years, nearly 286,000 were involved in work for pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although child labour is declining at the rate of 100,000 per year, 1.6 million children aged 5 to 17 are in child labour in Nepal, according to the estimates of the\u00a0alliance, which aims to achieve the\u00a0SDG target 8.7\u00a0by 2030.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the alliance, of the children involved in child labour,\u00a0621,000 children are estimated to be engaged in hazardous work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cEmergence of new forms of forced labour is one of the leading challenges,\u201d said Ram Prasad Ghimire, joint secretary at the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll of the stakeholders need to focus on the root cause and promote decent work. Also, there is a need for harmonisation of laws, forging of better coordination among various stakeholders to deal with the problems and coming up with alternate livelihoods and overcoming work deficits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Nepal government has introduced\u00a0National Master Plan on the Elimination of Child Labour (2018-2028)\u00a0with the aim of banishing the \u2018exploitative and worst form of child labour\u2019 by 2022 and all types of child labour by 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ongoing conference has brought together social partners, government officials, and members from workers\u2019 and employers\u2019 organisations from 15 countries. Participants from attending countries shared their country\u2019s innovations toward achieving the SDG Target 8.7.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RPA Wimalweera, commissioner-general for labour with Ministry of Labour and Trade Union Relations, Sri Lanka, a country which has\u00a0witnessed a drastic decline\u00a0in child labour, said his country\u2019s policy on child labour was complemented by the national action plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arvind Francis, assistant secretary-general of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said government schemes like mid-day meal have encouraged participation in schools while measures like\u00a0PENCIL\u00a0has encouraged reporting of child labour and enforcement of no child labour in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPromotion of education is crucial in promoting the rights of children and ensuring a better future for them,\u201d said Amar Lal, a youth advocate and a human rights lawyer from India, who happens to be a son of parents who were once engaged in bonded labour. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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