Only the physical and mental development of children can shape the future of the State well: Vice-Senior General

If social protection tasks including child labour measures are on the rise, protection will cover the occurrence of child labour, said Chairman of the Myanmar Child Labour Eradication National Committee Vice-Chairman of the State Administration Council Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win at the fifth coordination meeting of the national committee at the Ministry of Labour in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon.
The national-level action plan on eradication of Myanmar’s child labour was set as a 15-year plan with the first five-year plan to collect firm and exact data, raise awareness and capacity, create education and vocational learning opportunities, fortify amendments for legal affairs and implementation, remove and remedy the child labour from the worst employment and create better livelihoods for families starting from January 2019.
During the first five-year plan period (2009-2023), industrial production and trade sectors are being prioritized in Kayin and Mon states and Bago, Yangon and Ayeyawady regions for eradication of child labour.
The outbreak of Covid-19 caused poverty. So, families without any assistance pushed a larger number of children into workplaces. Hence, they are forced to work, mostly in dangerous workplaces. Especially, girls are forced to work as housemaids under exploitation. Social protection is essential for the majority of child labour, and the policies related to education, social protection, justice and the labour market must be emphasized.
The global survey showed a one per cent increase in poverty rate causes at least 8.7 per cent of child labour in the countries. There were 160 million children across the world in 2020, 6.5 million of whom are employed in precarious workplaces. The survey also showed that in 2022, there are some 8.9 million child labour across the world.
It is necessary for all to cooperate in the creation of social protection, job opportunities for poor families, proper jobs for adults and plans for sending all school-age children to schools, an inspection of free education and labour affairs, and the rule of law. If social protection tasks including child labour measures are on the rise, protection will cover the occurrence of child labour.
Only the physical and mental development of children can shape the future of the State well. After 2023 when the five-year plan period ends, the national committee members need to promptly carry out the review and implementation of the weak and strong points in line with the action plan in cooperation with relevant ministries.
Vice-Chairpersons of the national committee Union Ministers Lt-Gen Soe Htut and Dr Pwint San discussed the implementation of the national-level action plan.
Secretary Deputy Minister for Labour U Win Shein reported on the accomplishment of the minutes of the fourth meeting and the progress of eight work committees.
National committee members Union ministers participated in discussions on respective sectors of the action plan.
The Vice-Senior General coordinated necessary measures on discussions and reports and gave a concluding remark. — MNA