International Standards Related To Child Labor

International Standards Related to Child Labor RATIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL INSTRUMENTS ON CHILD LABOR Of the 16 international conventions related to child labor, the Philippines has ratified 4. These are as follows: ILO Convention No.59 (“Minimum age for admission of children to industrial employment’). Ratified in May 1960, the Convention sets the minimum age for employment in industry at 15 years but allows children under 15 to be employed in under takings where only family members are employed, but only if such work is free from risk to the life, health, or morals of children (Art.2). ILO Convention No.77 (‘Medical examination for fitness for employment in industry of children and young persons”). Also ratified in May 1960, the Convention requires the medical examinations of children prior to employment and continous

examinations

after

that,

and

includes

the

medical examination guidelines for the different kinds of work done by children. ILO Convention No.90 (“Night work of young persons employed

in

industry”).

Ratified

in

May

1953,

the

Convention bans the employment of children in industry at night or the duration of work of at least 12 consecutive hours, including the interval of at least 7 consecutive

hours, from ten in the evening to seven in the morning, for children aged between 16 and 8 years (Art.2). ILO Convention No.138 (“Minimum age for admission to employment”). The campaign to build a broad support for the Convention’s ratification was spearheaded by both government agencies and NGOs. This grounds well of support inspired Congress to briskly ratify Convention once it came to a vote. ILO-IPEC and its partners in the Philippines played a key role in the advocacy not only for the ratification of the Convention but also for the passage of more childsensitive laws, especially those concerning child labor. A most recent focus of ILO-IPEC partners and other anti-child labor advocates was the Global March Against Child Labour held in January 1998. The Asian side of the March was launched in the Philippines, and marchers would meet those from other parts of the world in Geneva in June 1998. Throughout 1997, several conventions and conferences around the world discussed the interests and states of child laborers, and prepared for the final meeting of representatives from various countries in June 1998 to agree on the eradication of child labor. Ratified in October 1997, the Convention focuses on setting a standard minimum age for all circumstances, having in view the terms of previous conventions covering minimum age in specific industries or sectors. These are the Conventions on the Minimum Age for industry (approved by ILO in 1919); sea (1920 and revised in 1936); agriculture (1921); trimmers and stokers (1932); nonindustrial employment

(revised in 1937); fishermen (1959); and underground work (1965).