violence against children WORLD REPORT ON - CRIN

“Preventive action against violence in the workplace affecting children is essential. Start with keepingor getting under-age children out of these situations and allowing them to be or remain in school. Andthere has to be zero tolerance of violence against children wherever they work.”Frans Roselaers, Editorial Board of the UN Secretary-General’s Study on Violence against ChildrenHuman rights INSTRUMENTSthat relate to the exploitation of child labour include article 34 (protection from sexualexploitation); article 35 (protection from trafficking); and article 36 (protection againstall other forms of exploitation).236Violence against children in places of workHowever, the notion of child protection in the CRC goes well beyond non-exploitation.Within its holistic framework for the upbringing, well-being and development ofthe child, the CRC covers a number of rights potentially at risk in cases where childrenwork. These include article 2 (protection against discrimination); article 3 (primaryconsideration given to ‘the best interests of the child’); and article 8, the right toidentity (working children may be denied the use of their own name). There are alsorights to access to health (article 24), education (article 28), and recreation (article 29),which the working child frequently does not enjoy.Certain CRC articles apply to specifics of the working situation, especially when achild is working away from home and is under the control of some adult other thanthe parents. These include article 19 (protection from all forms of physical or mentalviolence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment); article 27 (the right to anadequate standard of living); and article 37 (protection from torture, cruel and degradingtreatment and arbitrary deprivation of liberty). Finally, the rights relating to civicparticipation apply to working children as to others: article 12 (the right to be consulted);article 13 (the right to seek and impart information and views); and article 15(the right to freedom of association).Post-CRC developmentsIn 1992, growing concern with the plight of working children led the ILO to launchthe International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). The eliminationof child labour began to be recognised also as a core labour standard, includingat the World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen (1995), and the WTOMinisterial Conference in Singapore (1996). International meetings on child sexualexploitation and child labour took place in Stockholm (1996), Amsterdam (1997),Oslo (1997), and Yokohama (2001).In 1999, the ILO adopted Convention No. 182, the Worst Forms of Child LabourConvention, targeting the most hazardous and exploitative situations in whichchildren are found.