KARACHI, July 25: The International Labour Organization (ILO) is negotiating with the European Commission for the provision of five million euros towards the efforts for elimination of child labour in Pakistan.

This was stated by UN Director at ILO office in Pakistan Donglin Li in an interview with APP. When asked about the status of the negotiations, he said that the matter had almost been finalized.

Mr Li pointed out that the ILO was also assisting Pakistan in tackling the problem of child labour. He recalled that the organization had signed a memorandum of understanding with Pakistan in 1994 for the elimination of child labour in the country.

Over the next decade, the ILO organized eight major programmes and 50 core action programmes with a total cost of $20 million.

He pointed out that now ILO was negotiating with the EC to mobilize another five million euros to support the anti-child labour programme. He also praised Islamabad for paying attention towards the child labour issue, and said that the ministries of labour, social welfare, etc. had prepared a number of programmes in this regard.

The ILO director pointed out that in 2000, the government had approved a national action plan to eliminate child labour in the country.

He said that now this very programme was being implemented and the progress was satisfactory. Mr Li said that the government in 2001 had ratified the ILO Convention 182 which pertained to the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. He noted that the government had earmarked Rs100 million, especially for the working children and their families, for the purpose.

He said that his organization was now working with the government, employers and workers’ unions to amend the national action plan and select six occupations as hazardous ones for children. The occupations are tannery, deep-sea fishing, rag picking, mining and glass bangles. The initiative was taken by the government, he pointed out.

Mr Li said that there were over three million people involved in child labour across Pakistan. Under the ILO definition, a person below the age of 15 years and engaged in work falls under the purview of ‘child labour’.

He pointed out that child labour was a global issue and there was no simple solution to it. He was of the view that poverty and inadequate educational facilities were the major factors contributing to the phenomenon.

Mr Li said that ILO’s intervention in this country was through strengthening of institutions, capacity building, legislation and policy making.

“We also provide direct support to parents and working children,” he added.—APP