Activities

The Child Labour Desk has developed activities according to the following four main objectives:

· To act as a facilitator in the field of child labour between DCI and national, regional and international actors, including donors in the prevention, intervention and elimination of the high-risk forms of child labour and in the protection of adolescent workers.
· To promote and articulate a common position on child labour within DCI as a Movement.
· To reinforce and promote initiatives of DCI Sections to develop programmes and actions on child and adolescent labour within DCI as a Movement.
· To promote the participation if child labourers in all DCI actions.

The activities implemented for the achievement of the above objectives may be grouped as follows:
- Information sharing with DCI Sections and other active institutions in the field of child labour.
- Coordination of the debate on the DCI Movement's position and technical advice and co-operation within sections of DCI and between DCI sections and external bodies.
- Monitoring and advocacy for the implementation of international standards in relation to child labour.
- The development of research and publications.

1. Information tools
2. Consultation and co-operation
3. Monitoring and advocacy
4. Development of research and publications

1. Information tools

The Child Labour Desk places great emphasis on collecting material and resources on child labour and maintaining regular sharing of information with DCI Sections and other bodies dealing with child labour.

· Up-dated information:
The Child Labour Desk introduced initiatives for the regular provision of up-to-date news. The information gathered and circulated concerns developments in policies, legislation and practice in the field of child labour. Updated information on the ratification of Convention 182 is given great attention. DCI Sections were made priority recipients of this service. The information flow is dual, from the Child Labour Desk to the Sections and vice-versa. Details concerning the Sections' activities in the field of child labour are regularly collected.

· E-mail newsletter:
The Child Labour desk created an e-mail newsletter [this should be a direct link to the newsletter page] , in order to exchange and provide information. The contents of the newsletter are updates in policies, legislation, practice in the field of child lobbying, thematic articles, conferences, events, publications and resources. The newsletter is addressed to the Sections and other NGOs and individuals active in the field. The first issue was produced in December 2001.
If you want to subscribe to our e-mail Newsletter, please e-mail us: [email protected]

· A database
In order to gather more accurate data on the Sections' work and to be able to provide and disseminate a comprehensive overview of DCI expertise in the field of child labour, the Child Labour Desk has started a process of collection and analysis of the Sections' position, methodologies, research, best practices and publications in the field of child labour. This process is appropriately named the ‘systematisation of data on child labour’.

Through this activity, the Child Labour Desk does not only aim at gaining detailed knowledge of the practices implemented by DCI Sections, but also at evaluating their impact and so promoting the expertise to offer models of replication and to influence the political and institutional processes with the data and experience gathered.

The database will involve all sections and will have the following contents:

- Situation (how many children work, what types of work do they perform, policy and legal framework, economic and social factors, education etc.)
- Data on section (the focus and the view concerning child labour)
- Methodology adopted
- Geographical location and population targeted in the projects implemented
- Activities implemented
- Role played by different actors (donors, government institutions, international organisations, national, regional and international NGOs)
- Impact and evaluation
- Publications produced.

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2. Consultation and co-operation

In order to fulfil the goal of stimulating an internal debate within DCI and to share common concepts and methodologies, regional consultations are organised within DCI. Unity, as a movement, is another important goal, as a basis for cooperation with international bodies working in the field of child labour. Therefore, one of the priorities of the Child Labour Desk is to harmonise internal positions on child labour to take action against the forms of child labour as a global movement by seeking international co-operation.

· Consultations within DCI
The first regional consultation on child labour was held on 24 February 2023 in San Jose , in Costa Rica .
All Sections and Associate Members of Latin America and the Acting Secretary-General of DCI attended. Participants discussed their national situation, concepts developed, methodologies applied and relationships with donors in relation to child labour.
From the seminar, it was clear that all DCI Sections share common methodologies, although they work in different realities. Some recommendations emerged from the meeting such as the need for further research on specific issues (e.g. rural child labour) and groups (i.e. child domestic workers) and for regional programmes.

The second regional consultation on child labour was held on the 19th-21st of September 2002 in Accra, in Africa.
This second Consultation was addressed to the African Sections and it was attended by, amongst others, DCI-Benin, DCI-Burundi, DCI-Cameroon, DCI-Ghana, DCI-Liberia, DCI-Mauritania, DCI-Nigeria, DCI-Senegal, DCI-Sierra Leone DCI-Uganda and the President of the DCI Movement, Mr. Jorge Vila Despujol. The meeting, featured by an open-door session and an internal meeting for DCI Sections, was organised with the collaboration of DCI-Ghana.
The Consultation aimed at making progress on the development of a DCI Movement's position on Child Labour, at elaborating regional strategies and joint efforts and at identifying the areas of strength and weakness of the Movement in Africa. During this meeting, presentation of the activities developed by DCI sections in the field of child labour, a workshop on the re-definition and re-elaboration of DCI's position on child labour from the African perspective, future joint plans and strategies as a Regional and Global Movement, took place. The outcome of the meeting was a Declaration, which reflected the view of the African Sections of DCI. ( African Declaration )

· Co-operation with other actors
One of the tasks of the Child Labour Desk is to act as a facilitator between the DCI Sections and other actors at different levels.

In the field and in Geneva, the Desk interacts with ILO/IPEC for matters concerning the ratification and implementation of ILO Convention 182 on the Worst forms of Child Labour. The sections have been involved in the lobbying process for the ratification of Convention 182 and its adjustment to the national law. The Desk has played a role of mediator between the Sections, the ILO head quarters and the national/regional offices.

The Desk actively collaborates with NGOs operating in the field of Children's Rights, in particular those that are members of the NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child, of which DCI is also a member. Several initiatives especially within the thematic Subgroup have been developed.
(See the next Section)

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3. Monitoring and advocacy

The Child Labour Desk monitors conditions of working children worldwide and advocates for the implementation of international standards for their protection and for the removal of those children engaged in the worst forms of labour. This is done through:

- The NGO Group for the Convention on the Rights of the Child through its thematic Subgroups
- Participation in the sessions of the Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Participation in the Commission on Human Rights
- Participation in the ILO Conferences
- Participation in other international events

· The NGO Group for the Convention of the Right of the Child / Subgroup on Child Labour.
The Child Labour Desk represents DCI at the Subgroup meetings, which takes place twice a year. Today, the Child Labour Desk is able to provide support to the Subgroup's activities and also to contribute to the Subgroup with DCI's experience in the field of:

- Child Labour
- Children in Armed Conflict and Displacement
- Sexual Exploitation of Children
- Children and Violence
- Education
- The Commission on human rights

· International Events
The Child Labour Desk also performs its advocacy and monitoring activities by joining discussions at international conferences.

In 2001, the Child Labour Desk was represented by DCI at the following events:

- ILO Conference in June 2001
- OMCT Conference on Children, Torture and the Other Forms of Violence, Tampere, Finland in 27 Nov-2 Dec 2001
- Second World Congress on Commercial Sexual Exploitation, Yokohama, Japan in 17-20 December 2001

In 2002, the Child Labour Desk was represented by DCI at the following events :

- The UN General Assembly Special Session on Children in New York in May 2002.
- The ILO Conference in June 2002 in Geneva, Switzerland. The Child Labour Desk was actively involved in the preparation of DCI's input to the conference at which a statement was achieved.

In the year 2002, the Child Labour Desk was present at:

- The Conference "Combating Child Labour", which took place in the Hague, the Netherlands, 25-27th of February. The conference renewed the need for an international articulate effort for the progressive elimination of child labour and the immediate abolition of the most hazardous forms of labour. The event had the objective of seeking partners and creating alliances at different levels for the elimination of child labour.
- The 58th Commission on Human Rights, representing DCI in the issues related to child labour. The Child Labour Desk participated in the Children's Rights Caucus taking place throughout the Commission. A brief presentation was given at the Children's Caucus on child labour from a children's rights perspective.
- The Consultation with NGOs about UNGEI Partnering for Girls' Education in relation to the Millennium Goal, on the 2-28th of June in Geneva, Switzerland.
- The Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, the 54th Session on the 29 of July-14th of August in Geneva, Switzerland.
- The 30th Session of the Committee on the rights of the Child, 16th in July.
- The 31st Session of the Committee on the rights of the Child, 16th of September-4th of October.

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4. Development of research and publications

The Child Labour Desk is dedicated to undertaking research and developing manuals/brochures on child labour.