Promotion and Protection of all Human Rights Including the Right to Development Written statement* submitted by Society for Protection of Street & Working Children, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status The Secretary-General ha

26 January 2019

English only

Human Rights Council

Fortieth session

23 July-23 August 2019

Agenda item 3

Promotion and Protection of all Human Rights Including the Right to Development

Written statement* submitted by Society for Protection of Street & Working Children, a non-governmental organization in special consultative status

The Secretary-General has received the following written statement which is circulated in accordance with Economic and Social Council resolution 1996/31

[26 January 2019]

 

Item 3: Promotion and Protection of all Human Rights Including the Right to Development

Society for Protection of Street & Working Children

Forced Migration Triggered by Armed Conflict as the Root Cause of Child Labor

The experiences and surveys of the Society for Protection of Street & Working Children (SPSWC) shows that forced migration triggered by armed conflict is one of the root causes of child labor. Being under double pressure of forced displacement on the one hand and lack of financial resources on the other hand, many children are pushed to various forms of child labor

In addition to the findings of SPSWC, which has been standing for the right of labor children for years, reports on the recent cases of forced migration also proves the causal effect of armed conflict and migration on child labor 

For example, the Syrian war is reported to contribute to child labor among refugees in Lebanon, where impoverished refugees turned to child labor.  The children as young as 5 years old, who escaped war, where never able to run away from poverty that forced the Syrian refugee families to send their children out to work. According to United Nations reports published in 2017, 180,000  refugee children living in Lebanon had to work long hours for to receive a wage as little as $2 per day

Child labor, violates the children’s right to education, ruins the future life of many children disappointing the dreams that could come through with education, in addition, it violates the children’s right to play.  What is worst, the right to life and the right to health of many labor children is also threatened under hazardous working conditions - using dangerous machinery in factories, being abused by employers, and working under the hot sun in agricultural fields - and long working hours

All physical and psychological harms occur to labor children while their rights are protected by the Convention on the Rights of the Child. According to the Article 31st of the Convention, all State Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to play and to freely participate in cultural life and the arts.  It is also stated that there should be no discrimination among children in this regard and all children should have equal access to cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activities.  Also, Article 28th of the Convention recognizes the right to education for all children.  It is deplorable that all children’s rights enumerated in the Convention are violated by child labor in refugee communities who are subject to forced migration by armed conflicts

 Recommendations

 Strongly, advocating peace and political stability, the Society for Protection of Street & Working Children condemns all wars and armed conflicts that jeopardize the well-being of children 

SPSWC supports all peace keeping and peacebuilding efforts in the Middle East and war stricken territories, with particular attention to children’s rights

SPSWC believes that to address the challenge of child labor in refugee or displaced communities, adequate attention should be paid to the root causes of the phenomenon, including regional wars and conflicts