+++I am writing in response to Sam Lanfranco's posting of March 3rd,
1997.+++ (Louise)
>_____________________________________
>
>PREAMBLE:
>+++The following comments are made in response to the United Nations
CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD", as adopted by the General Assembly
of the United Nations...+++
>>
>For the purpose of the Convention, CHILD means: "every human being below
the age of 18 years unless, under the law applicable to the child, majority
is attained earlier."
>>____________________________________

>>ARTICLE 32:  (1) "States Parties recognize the right of the child to be
protected from exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to
be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful
to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social
development."

+++My heart bleeds at the thought of young children being exploited in any
way, etc..  And responsibility rests upon so many shoulders.   I, as a
Canadian, probably unknowingly buy products made by these children, thereby
encouraging child labour.

+++But awareness is the first step in helping these children.  I think it
is wonderful that the internet can serve as a bridge to bring together both
the awareness of the problems and the  potential solutions, thus breaking
down the geographical barriers.   The internet will hopefully speed up the
process of helping these children...+++  (Louise)
>>____________________________________
>>>
>Sam Lanfranco said: "...the elimination of the most intolerable forms of
child labour to be discussed during the 1998 and 1999...    In addition,
other relevant ILO conventions as well as other international instruments,
such as the Convention of the Rights of the Child, will be discussed.
>>>>
>>>***I would like to congratulate everyone who is working hard to
accomplish this goal of protecting the rights of children. In closing,
while we are on the subject of the United Nations CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS
OF THE CHILD, I would respectfully like to highlight another area that
requires help for the children:
ARTICLE 6 stipulates:  (1) "States Parties recognize that every child has
the inherent right to life."
>(2) "States Parties shall ensure to the maximum extent possible the
survival and development of the child."
______________________________________

Louise d'Entremont
______________________________________



>>X-Sender: [log in to unmask]
>>Date:         Mon, 3 Mar 1997 12:57:39 -0500
>>Reply-To: Health Promotion on the Internet <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sender: Health Promotion on the Internet <[log in to unmask]>
>>From: Sam Lanfranco <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject:      Child Rights Online: Sampler Issue
>>Comments: To: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>This is a posting of the Jan/Feb Childs Rights OnLine from India. It came
>>out in mid-February and is a lead-in to the Amsterdam Child Labour
>>Conference held last week. It is for background and will be followed up by
>>a report on the conference, available shortly.
>>
>>Normally this material is only posted to DATPERS-L and LABOR-L but in the
>>case of this document and the report to follow, we are expanding the
>>exposure and posting to CLICK4HP (re: health promotion) and WOMENSPACE
>>(Women and Activism on the Internet).
>>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>>Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 09:52:21 +0000
>>From: Jagdish Parikh <[log in to unmask]>
>>Subject: Child Rights Online second issue
>>------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
>>From:          [log in to unmask]
>>Date:          Sun, 16 Feb 1997 06:09:00
>>Subject:       Child Rights Online second issue
>>Organization:  Concern For Working Children  Bangalore, INDIA.
>>==========================================================
>> C H I L D S   R I G H T S    O N L I N E
>>Jan-Feb 1997                               second issue
>>
>>-----------------------------------------------------------
>>Child Rights International Network(CRIN), Bangalore(INDIA)
>>and Concerned for Working Children(CWC), Bangalore(INDIA)
>>===========================================================
>>
>>The child's right to express an opinion, and to have that
>>opinion taken into account, in any matter or procedure
>>affecting the child(Article 12)
>>
>>UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>Our Right to Represent Ourselves
>>
>>Working Children's delegates  at the World Meeting of Working
>>Children, Nov-Dec 1996, in Kundapur (INDIA) demanded for
>>`Organised Representation' from the  working children's movements
>>in any of the forthcoming International conferences concerning
>>them. During this World Meet, the observers from the Government
>>of Netherlands who had agreed in `principle' to include working
>>children's representation in their forthcoming conference.
>>Finally Netherland's Government  formally invites 7 working
>>children's representatives from Asia,Africa and Latin America
>>countries for its Amsterdam Child Labour Conference.
>>
>>The Netherland Government's decision to invite working children's
>>representatives assumes significance, and acknowleges the fact
>>that  it has ushered in an era of working children's
>>representation. It also fulfills the true spirit of Convention on
>>the Right of the child, The child's right to express an opinion,
>>and to have that opinion to taken into account, in any matter or
>>procedure affecting the child(Article 12).  Now the stage is set
>>for demanding working children's representation in forthcoming
>>Child Labour Conference in Norway and finally the Working
>>Children's representation at the ILO  Conference in 1998.
>>
>>Shortly, after the Netherland Government's decision to include
>>working children's representation. The child labour scenario in
>>the South Asian Region was charged with unprecendented
>>developments. Leading NGOs in Nepal started thinking on working
>>children's collectives. At the end of this year working
>>children's collective will start surfacing in this tiny Himalayan
>>Kingdom. India has also risen to the new reality. Being itself a
>>host for the World Conference on Child Labour, is gearing to form
>>approximately 100 working children's collective in South India.
>>The same wind is blowing  in Srilanka, if messages pouring in is
>>any indication,Child labour scenario in srilanka will witness its
>>working children forming collectives.
>>
>>
>>Amsterdam Child Labour Conference....
>>
>>The Government of Netherlands is organising an international
>>round table conference on the most intolerable forms of child
>>labour worldwide.  The conference will be held in Amsterdam on 26
>>and 27 February 1997 and will be organised in close collaboration
>>with the International Labour Organisation(ILO) and its
>>International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour(IPEC),
>>Government representatives from over 30 countries in Asia,
>>Africa, the Americias and Europe, representatives of Worker's and
>>Employer's Organsiations, representatives of International
>>Organisations and Non-Governmental Organisations(NGOs),
>>representatives of working children and other parties will be
>>invited to participate.
>>
>>The aim of the conference is to stimulate the global discussion
>>on the measures to combat the most intolerable forms of child
>>labour.  Concernted action is required through integrated policy
>>approaches towards the progressive elimination of child labour.
>>However the priority is to proceed immediately to put an end to
>>its most intolerable forms.  This comprises any work that is
>>likely to be hazardous, or to interfere with the child's
>>education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical,
>>mental, spiritual, moral or social development.E.g., the
>>unemployement of children in slave-like,bonded dangerous and
>>hazardous conditions, the exploitation of very vulnerable
>>children, such as the very young(under 12 years of age) and
>>girls, and  the commercial sexual exploitation of children.
>>
>>The first day of the two day conferences(26th Feb 1997) will be
>>devoted to political statements by 7 Ministers from developing
>>countries and 6 Ministers from Industrialized countries.  In
>>their statements the ministers are requested to discuss the
>>approaches adopted in their countries to eliminate the most
>>intolerable forms of child labour as well as on required
>>international and regional action.  These political statements
>>will generate an inventory of `best practice'. Ministers have
>>been invited to speak from countries that have already taken
>>positive steps towards the elimination of the most intolerable
>>forms of child labour worldwide. In between the speeches there
>>will be opportunities for debate between workers, employers, NGOs
>>and other participants.
>>
>>The second day of the conference(27 Feb 1997) will be devoted
>>mainly to three simultaneous technical workshops.  The
>>participants can participate in the workshops of their choice.
>>The technical workshops will be preceded by a plenary session as
>>an introduction to the workshops.  The workshops will start with
>>introductions by panels of experts followed by a debate among the
>>participants.  The themes for the three technical workshop are
>>
>>1. International and regional cooperation in the area of
>>eliminating child labour
>>Various introductions will be held, including one by the ILO on
>>IPEC from the angle of multi-bilateral development cooperation,
>>and one on bilateral development cooperation including
>>international and regional cooperation.
>>
>>2. Globalization, liberatlization and child labour
>>IN this workshop a discussion will be held on the consequencws of
>>economic adjustment, globalization and liberalization for
>>vulnerable groups including children(and their mothers). Also the
>>strengthening of the supervision on the implementation of
>>fundmental labour standards as well as its links with
>>interantional trade will be discussed. Further the role of
>>consumer actions, such as voluntary labelling campiagns, will be
>>addressed.
>>
>>3(ILO) instruments on the elimination of exploitative and
>>hazardous child labour
>>A first initial discussion will be held on the contents and
>>outline of a possible new ILO instruments(convention and/ or
>>recommendation) on the elimination of the most intolerable forms
>>of child labour to be discussed during the 1998 and 1999
>>International Labour Conferences(ILCs) In addition, other
>>relevant ILO conventions as well as other international
>>instruments, such as the Convention of the Rights of the Child,
>>will be discussed.
>>
>>During the second half of the afternoon of the second conference
>>day the outcome of the discussion in the workshops will be
>>presented in plenary.  After a plenary debate on the outcome of
>>the workshops the conference will be summed up and concluded by
>>the Netherlands Minister for Social Affairs and Employment.  The
>>conclusions of the conference will then be handed over to the
>>Minister for Development Co-operation from Norway in order to
>>establish a link between the Amsterdam Child Labour Conference
>>and the Norwegian Conference on Child Labour  which will be held
>>in Oslo in October 1997.
>>
>>Some of the participants at the Amsterdam Child Labour Conference
>>is follows:
>>
>>Mr. Ad Melkert,Minister of Social Affiars and Employment of the
>>    Netherlands(chairperson of the conference)
>>Mr. Michel Hansenne, Director General of the International Labour
>>    Organisation(ILO)
>>Ms. Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF
>>
>>Mr. Ahmed El Amawi, Minister of Manpower and Migration of Eygpt
>>Mr. M Arunachalam, Minister of Labour of India
>>Mr. Nobert Blum, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs of Germany
>>Mr. Sebastian Kinyonto, Minister of Labour and Youth Development
>>    of Tanzania
>>Mr. Kari Nordheim Larsen, Minister of Development Co-operation of
>>    Norway(Other speakers to be confirmed
>>Ms. Nandana Reddy, Chairperson, International Working Group on
>>    Child Labour
>>
>>Bhima Sangha(INDIA), ENDA(SENEGAL), Movimento, Manthoc(LATIN
>>AMERICA COUNTRIES) and a Working Children's Representative from
>>Nepal are the Working Childrens who will represent their
>>collectives.
>>
>>Ms. Assefa Bequele, Director of the Working Conditions and
>>Environment Department of the International Labour
>>Organisation(ILO)
>>
>>Mr. Jan Pronk, Minister for Development Cooperation of the
>>Netherlands
>>
>>Mr. Kari Tapiola, Deputy Director- General of International
>>Labour Organisation(ILO)
>>
>>
>>In my next e-mail, I will share with you about the proceeding of
>>the Conferences. Meanwhile, if you happen to read about this
>>conference in the Newspaper, Magazines.... please share with me
>>so that i can share with all. Comments and Responses are welcome
>>
>>Madhu Sudhan
>>[log in to unmask]