SCOPE OF INTERNATIONAL LABOR STANDARDS IN ELIMINATING CHILD LABOR/WORST FORMS

Abstract

The International Labour Organization (ILO), through its extensive normative activities – such as the adoption of international labor standards – promotes the protection of human rights within the socio-economic sphere. Historically, since its establishment in 1919, the ILO has adopted 191 conventions, 208 recommendations, and 6 protocols, along with numerous declarations. When we contrast these data with the rising incidence of child labor concerning the ILO's normative and other activities, questions arise regarding the effectiveness of these international labor standards in eliminating not only the worst forms of child labor but all forms of child labor exploitation. It is important to note that the adoption of conventions and recommendations that directly address child labor issues, as well as those indirectly influencing the elimination of child labor (e.g., Convention No. 29 on Forced or Compulsory Labor; Convention No. 105 on the Abolition of Forced Labour; Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age for Admission to Employment, among others), and the numerous ratifications of these labor standards, represent only initial steps towards the complete eradication of child labor. The successful eradication of child labor is an inevitable long-term goal due to its deep entrenchment in poverty, underdevelopment, and prevailing social and cultural attitudes.

An analysis of child labor over a three-year project cycle, considering the social, economic, political, and cultural contexts, indicates that despite extensive regulations at the universal, international, regional, and national levels, and despite modern efforts to entirely eradicate it, child labor persists with an increasing trend of exploitation and abuse. Therefore, the successful eradication of child labor remains a long-term objective due to its profound roots in poverty, underdevelopment, and socio-cultural attitudes.