Nay Pyi Taw April 21
Myanmar National Committee to Eliminate Child Labour held its fourth work coordination using zoom application at the State Administration Council (SAC) Office at 2 pm today, with an address delivered by the Chairman of the Committee Vice Chairman of the SAC Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commanderin-Chief (Army) Vice-Senior General Soe Win.
Present at the meeting were Vice Chairman (1) of the Committee member of the Council Union Minister for Homes Affairs and at Union Government Office Lt-Gen Soe Htut, Vice Chairman (2) Union Minister for Labour, Immigration and Population U Myint Kyaing, the relevant Union Ministers, the Union Attorney-General, the chairman of Nay Pyi Taw Council, chairmen of region/state administration councils, the Yangon mayor, the Mandalay mayor, deputy ministers of the eight work committees, directors-general of the secretariat of the committee, officials of the Union of Myanmar Federation of
Chambers of Commerce and Industry, representative of Myanmar farmers multiple agriculture and food industries labour union, representatives of Myanmar National Committee for Women’s Affairs and Myanmar Red Cross Society and the relevant organizations.
In his address, the Vice-Senior General said child labour elimination is a global issue of the present age.
So, a long-term program is underway to address the issue as a national duty as it is a huge challenge for the country. As it is already stated by the chairman of the State Administration Council in his speech to the public on 8 February 2021, the SAC has been giving priority to the rule of law and community peace and tranquility in the country since the assumption of the duties of the State and will continue to implement the national development plans and work programs on labour affairs and related issues through coordination.
The State will go ahead in accord with the five future work programs and nine objectives. It will extend cordial and warm relations with all countries and invite foreign investments for further economic development. Investments will be dealt in accord with the existing laws and there cannot be any negative impacts.
Tasks that were delayed or discontinued for various reasons during the administration of the previous government from 2016 to 2021 and ongoing tasks will be reviewed. The SAC will continue to implement any tasks that will practically benefit the country and the people with added momentum.
So, the ministries and organizations must be active in implementing the tasks for their effectiveness and success. As the Myanmar National Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour protects the labour rights, the programme must be designated as a national task and the work committees of the respective sectors must implement their tasks without fail.
According to the 2017 census of the International Labour Organization, a total of 218 million children between aged 5 and 17 worked throughout the world, some 152 million— 88 million male and 64 million female — were child labourers.
Among them, about 73 million children worked at the dangerous workplaces. The world’s census stated that there were 152 million of child workers—72.1 million in African countries, 62.1 million in Asia-Pacific region countries, 10.7 million in countries of Americas, 1.2 million in Arab countries and 5.5 million in European and Middle East countries. In accord with the 2017 report on youth policy of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, as the number of workable youth across the world reached some 1 billion or 18 percent of the global population. So, world’s youths face gaps and differences in economic, social and technical affairs and culture among regional countries and social organizations. As the development role of youths and children are of great importance in shaping the future image of a country, youths and children are invaluable resources of the country.
The majority of regional developing countries employ youths and children who may contribute to productivity as employees, and countries facing challenges related to poverty use more child labours at workplaces. Development of the State economy, improvement of living standard and promotion of education are directly related to the main factors of employing child labourers. Moreover, these main factors are concerned with consequences of global climate change happening in today's global countries such as food insufficiency based on storms, flooding, droughts, forest fires and earthquakes and poverty and migration depending on some internal conflicts. Due to socio-economic crises, it is regrettable that child labourers, youths and young workers miss the chance to choose learning opportunities for their education but they are employed as child labours in the majority of developing countries.
The Vice-Senior General urged region and state administration councils including Nay Pyi Taw Council, ministries, social partnership organizations, NGOs and INGOs to steadfastly implement the Myanmar child labour elimination project as a national duty by considering all sectors. The majority of children are working at all sorts of jobs such as house workers, seafood industries, and garment and footwear factories so as to provide assistance to families because they are poor and lack learning opportunities.
Children are facing pressure to work for earning income without fail. Generally, they are working as child labour at agriculture, service and industrial sectors. Hence, Myanmar National Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour was drawn and is being implemented for protecting the children from workplaces. The Myanmar National Committee to Eliminate Child Labour was formed with 37 members in 2018, holding three national committee meetings. The Programme was approved. Eight work committees were formed and each committee is implementing the plan in their respective sectors. The State Administration Council will constitute the national committee with 39 members led by the Vice Chairman of the State Administration Council with the aim of continuously carrying out eradication of child labour in Myanmar with momentum since its assumption of the State duty.
Being a developing country, Myanmar faces difficulties and criticism of international community in mitigating child labour as lesser job opportunities and lesser number of family members to earn come for their basic needs is main factors to come out child labour. However, Myanmar is applying its capability as much as possible pledged to effectively prioritize the issue of child labour. Child labour hits the generalized system of preferences-GSP of big developed countries of the world to some extent while GSP is an effective support for employment opportunity and economic growth of the State. In an effort to reduce child labour, just removal of children from the workplaces is impossible to eradicate the child labour. The underage children can be reduced from workplaces if chances for all school age children to attend the schools free of charge can be created, civil society organizations taking care of children are encouraged and poverty can be alleviated through the increase in the income for families.
The Vice-Senior General said at today’s meeting, he would like to empahsize implemention of the tasks by respective work committees and future tasks after approval of those work committees as included in the national level project on the elimination of Myanmar child labour. The Nay Pyi Taw Council as well as region/state administration councils must continue to implement the ongoing project tasks. Moreover, as included in the first five-year short-term project, education and job opportunities for children in Yangon, Bago and Ayeyawady regions and Mon and Kayin states, situations of their families and poverty must be considered. They need to implement their respective tasks on priority lists for the elimination of child labour in their own regions.
National committee members, chairmen of Nay Pyi Taw Council and region/state administration councils, chairmen of respective work committees and all organizations working on child labour elimination are to work together by seeking positive ways to successfully wipe out child labour in view of considering all prevailing conditions in Myanmar.
Next, Vice Chairman (2) of the committee Union Minister for Labour, Immigration and Population U Myint Kyaing reported on the implementation of national level work project on elimination of child labour in Myanmar, Committee Secretary Deputy Minister for Labour, Immigration and Population U Win Shein on past and present efforts for child labour elimination, reconstitution of the national committee and plans for reconstitution of the eight work committees and the secretariat, and Joint Secretary Director General of the Factory and Labour Law Inspection Department U Nyunt Win on details about the eight work committees.
Then, those in attendance discussed matters related to child labour elimination and gave suggestions.
Director General U Nyunt Win explained the eight-point resolution to be made at the fourth meeting and sought approval of the notifications (draft) for the reconstitution of the work committees and the secretariat.
Then, the meeting came to an end after a concluding remark by the Vice-Senior General.