8+Ukraine

Committee 8 Child Labor Ukraine

Kathryn Reuter Period 3 September 17, 2008

I. Background

Children in developing counties are most likely to work; sixty percent work in Asia, thirty-two percent in Africa, and eight percent in Latin America. Many families depend on the income their child earns. There are more job opportunities for children than adults. Children are driven to work out of necessity: public schooling is not available to them, their wages are the only source of income to their families, and many of them must support themselves (orphans, runaways from domestic violence or boarding schools, or children who’s parents have abandoned them).

II. U.N Involvement

In 1989, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states that it is the right of children to be protected from hazardous work and from service in warfare. Hazardous work is work that is dangerous to the heath of the child, a large percent of the 250 million children currently working are doing so in an environment that jeopardizing the child’s safety and heath. Recruitment (forced or voluntary) into armed groups is extremely hazardous to the safety and heath of the child; an estimated 300,000 children are currently participating in armed conflict throughout the world.

Two UN agencies are extremely involved in the issue of child labor: The United Nations Children’s Fund and the International Labor Organization. These organizations have defined the issue and developed several international treaties critical of child labor. When a county decides to ratify a convention, UN organizations monitor their progress and hold them accountable for any violations.

III. Country Policy and Involvement

Of the 3.8 percent of children working in the Ukraine the majority of them are employed in agriculture and manufacturing. Many of these children work to support their families, but the vast majority of them support themselves. Child workers in the Ukraine are transients or orphans. The issue of children working in the Ukraine is simply a side effect of poverty, limited opportunities, and few options. In 2006, the state program to combat child homelessness and neglect was adopted by the government of Ukraine for 2006-2010. This program is geared for children in at risk families aiming to support them. Currently, Ukraine is executing the Child Protection Program it is working on building a protective environment for all children, including access to an education, social welfare, and justice. Ukraine has ratified both conventions- numbered 138 and 182 -in 1979 and 2008 respectively.

IV. Solutions

Child employment is a last resort for children and families living in poverty with limited resources and opportunities. Child labor needs reform. Environments need to be created where children and families have options and opportunities other than child labor. Ukraine hopes that Safer Working Conditions for Children, a Non-Government Organization can make the work place safe for children. The SWCC will have a branch operating in each member country. This national branch will target noncompliant child-employers with all legal force possible to make the workplace a safe place for children to work. Young Lawyers can easily find an appointment in the SWCC, and they will gain invaluable experience working in foreign countries to improve laboring conditions. A mention of the SWCC on a job resume is a knockout for potential employers that these young legalists may encounter later in life. By using the legal system to their advantage, working children will have a voice that is heard.

There is another NGO that Ukraine believes will improve the plight of child-laborers worldwide: the Student Network for a Literate World. This NGO is a organization of college students primarily from the United States who travel to places that do not have many opportunities for education to teach students skills that they do not have. Since the Collagist’s donate their time, this NGO is particularly efficient. Children would be more likely to go to school if their parents could provide for them with money earned working with skills they learned from SNLW. Also, the cycle of child labor would diminish over time due to the combined efforts of the SWCC and the SNLW.