Minister of Labour: Project "Accelerate the elimination of child labour" One of the most distinguished projects
Today, Monday, Minister of Labor Mohamed Gibran delivered a speech at the closing ceremony of the project “Accelerating the Elimination of Child Labor in Supply Chains in Africa,” in cooperation with the International Labor Organization office, which was held in Cairo.
In the presence of Eric Ochlan, Director of the organization’s office in Egypt, Mr. Minoru Oga Sawara, Regional Director of the project, Dr. Sahar Al-Sunbati, President of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, and Reem Kamal, representative of the Ministry of Social Solidarity, And representatives of the workers, who spoke at the celebration and stressed the role of the project, and the importance of partnership and cooperation to confront the phenomenon of child labor.
Minister Gibran said in his speech, that this “project” is one of The most distinguished project in the journey of cooperation with the International Labor Organization, explaining that the "project" It lasted for 6 years, aiming to support public policies, institutional capacities, and exchange knowledge between actors in the field of combating child labor in general, and in cotton supply chains in particular..
The Minister explained that what distinguishes this project is that its objectives are consistent with the priorities of the Egyptian government, which are represented in Egypt’s strategy for sustainable development, Egypt’s Vision 2030, especially the first goal, regarding improving the quality of life of the Egyptian citizen and improving the level of His livelihood, and providing an integrated system for social protection, ensuring the quality of education, and health services, as its objectives were formulated based on the national plan to combat the worst forms of child labor and support the family, which aims to contribute effectively to eliminating child labor in all its forms by 2025, with an emphasis on providing Comprehensive social protection for targeted children and their families in cooperation with all ministries and national and international bodies with common goals. It is also in line with presidential initiatives and directives, all of which aim to build the Egyptian human being. On a sound basis, developing his skills, and providing him with a decent life at all stages of his life.. The Minister spoke about the challenges that faced the project, including the repercussions of the Corona pandemic, and the effects resulting from the political turmoil and economic crises that the whole world is witnessing, and the Middle East region in particular, and yet Continue " Project" In providing all forms of support… He explained that over the past 6 years there has been cooperation and unremitting efforts to reduce the phenomenon of child labor, through improving the political, legal and institutional frameworks and institutionalizing innovative solutions, as well as strengthening partnership and exchanging knowledge between actors. ..
The Minister touched on the decisions issued regarding the employment and training of children, the conditions and circumstances in which employment takes place, and defining the work. And the professions and industries in which it is prohibited to employ them according to the different stages of age, as well as the formation of a unit to combat child labor, headed by the Minister of Labor, and the implementation of the training plan to build institutional capabilities…as well as developing the inspection system, organizing unified inspection visits, and preparing posters, awareness videos, and a guidebook for occupational safety and health. Securing the work environment, and preparing a guide for public services to protect children and support families in the targeted governorates… The Minister indicated that the most prominent achievements of the “project” Completing the preparation of the national survey on the phenomenon of child labor, in cooperation with the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, which is scheduled to reflect the true extent of child labor in Egypt, thus contributing to enhancing knowledge and supporting decision makers to determine priorities and develop future plans. The Minister stressed in his speech Also: “We still have many challenges ahead of us and we must make more efforts to confront this global phenomenon, which affects the future of our parents and our country. It is necessary that we continue to work together to Addressing the main causes of the phenomenon.."..
In his speech, Mr. Eric Ochlan, Director of the ILO office in Cairo, confirmed that “through the ACCEL Africa project, activities were implemented Multiple and comprehensive approaches to address the root causes of child labour. At the end of the project, we are committed to continuing to maintain and expand the progress we have achieved, as the project exit strategy includes specific and implementable recommendations, including strengthening the child labor monitoring system and directing efforts towards industries, supply chains and geographic areas where child labor is widespread. Determined in the National Child Labor Survey for the year 2023..
He added that strengthening institutions and mechanisms for protecting children and empowering families on the ground are among the basic keys to eliminating child labor, and in this context, we must emphasize that sustainable change requires Enduring partnerships. The ILO remains fully committed to promoting the decent work agenda and eliminating child labour, with a focus on economic empowerment, equality and growth for all.
The closing ceremony activities included An agreement was signed to deliver devices to complete the computerization of the inspection system, and an overview of the project’s achievements and successes was presented by Marwa Salah, the project manager in Egypt. Three discussion sessions were also held on combating child labor, and a documentary film of a success story was shown. As well as honoring the team of field consultants for the project..
