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CHILDREN DEMAND TO BE HEARD



CHILDREN DEMAND TO BE HEARD
6.9.97/THE NATION
MALEE TRAISAWASDICHAI

SOUTHEAST and Northeast Asia's working children called for their
voices to be included in next month's international conference on
child labour in Oslo, saying they were the ones who would be
affected by the international planners.

At the end of the three-day regional consultation on child
labour, countries of Southeast and Northeast Asia yesterday
endorsed a regional plan to combat the "most intolerable forms of
child labour". The plan will be submitted to the Oslo conference
in October.

"In every consultation, every meeting, not only internationally
but also locally, whenever you make a decision or a plan for
children, please always consider what we feel and hear and what
we think," a Filipino youth told the regional consultation.

"We have learned that they will not allow children's
participation in Oslo. We strongly object to that, she said.

Chan Makara Em, a Cambodian boy, hoped that the t children's
statement from the regional consultation
would be included in Oslo.

"We hope our recommendations will be included in the drafting of
the new child labour convention. We propose to have more
participation by children, particularly at the Oslo conference,"
Chan Makara Em said.

Whether children will be allowed to participate in the Oslo
conference will depend on a decision by the Norwegian government
and UNICEF, who will co-host the event, said a representative of
the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The regional plan, which will address the most intolerable forms
of child labour, will also form the basis for drafting the ILO's
new convention on child labour. The drafting process will take
place next year and is expected to be adopted in 1999.

The regional plan identifies the 10 most intolerable forms of
child labour which must be immediately eradicated, which are
child prostitution, child pornography, children conscripted as
soldiers, removal of landmines, mining and quarrying,
construction work, deep sea fishing, smuggling of illegal
substances, scavenging and pyrotechnics.

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