700,000 Zambian children involved in child labor: official

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 20, 2003

700,000 Zambian children involved in child labor: official

Over 700,000 Zambian children are involved in the worst forms of child labor, the country's Labor and Social Security Minister Patrick Kafumukache said in Lusaka Wednesday.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Over 700,000 Zambian children are involved in the worst forms of child labor, the country's Labor and Social Security Minister Patrick Kafumukache said in Lusaka Wednesday.

Speaking at a sub-regional conference on child labor, Kafumukache said the Zambian government intends to come up with a conducive and coherent child labor policy to meet the challenges the scourge has brought.

Child labor is a complex problem that requires a multifaceted approach and the government is determined to put in place an appropriate policy to fight the scourge, he said at the conferencesponsored by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

The ILO estimates that 250 million children aged between 5 and 14 years are engaged in economic activities in developing countries, with 120 million of them working in full time activity.

Kafumukache said the Zambian government has ratified all the ILO conventions on child labor, including Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labor and has gone ahead in domesticatingtheir provisions in various pieces of legislation as a commitment to fight the scourge.

"A fully fledged national steering committee is in place and a full time child labor unit has been established with a database created as a resolve and commitment by the government to institutionalize child labor in the country," he said.

The minister urged other countries in the southern Africa sub-region to ratify all the ILO conventions on child labor if the region is to move in one direction in the fight against child labor.

"If the scourge has to be eliminated from our respective countries, there is every need to painstakingly integrate and mainstream child labor concerns into our countries' ongoing developmental policies and programs," he said.

The minister stressed that there is need to fight poverty and hunger in a more inter-linked and inter-dependent multi-sectoral approach as poverty and hunger account for the main reasons why children trek to the streets for survival.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Zambia Arrests Former Senior Health Official for Alleged Corruption

Striking Zambian Workers not Give in Despite Govt. Threat

Zambia can learn a lot from China: president

China slams AIT head's remarks on Taiwan issue ( 4 Messages)

Internet changes life in China: News focus ( 2 Messages)

2003, the first pageant year in China? ( 4 Messages)

US rushes to embrace strategy of "Iraqification" ( 4 Messages)

Traffic woes to ease with express thoroughfares ( 3 Messages)