Training workshop on capacity building strategy held to eliminate child labour

A training workshop on capacity building strategy on elimination of child labour was held on 12 December 2023 at The Westin Dhaka, reported a press release.

Additional secretary (labour) at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Md Towfiqul Arif attended the training workshop as the chief guest while chief of child protection at UNICEF Bangladesh, Natalie McCauley was present as the special guest.

Plus, joint secretary at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Hazera Khatun and child protection manager at UNICEF Bangladesh, Elisa Calpona attended the workshop as guest of honours.

The chief guest appreciated the partnership with UNICEF Bangladesh and pledged to end this harmful practice of child labour. He emphasised joint initiatives by the relevant ministries to implement a National Plan of Action (NPA) to eliminate child labour.

The special guest said, “We must stop the hazardous forms entirely, and obviously, more effort must be put to ensure that we reach the SDG. The global SDG reports on child well-being show that we have not made good progress in child labour indicators and need to do more.”

Elisa Calpona explained that this initiative aligns with a broader partnership initiated by UNICEF with MoLE, DIFE and DoL in 2022. This is also part of GoB’s commitment to eliminate child labour, reiterated during the Fifth Global Conference in May 2022, Durban, South Africa.

Ministry's focal point officer for the elimination of child labour, Khondoker Md Nazmul Huda Shamim presented the strategy according to the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labor.

Child protection officer at UNICEF, Fatema Khyrunnnahar said that UNICEF is working to eliminate child labour in the country through programmes, capacity building, and policy reforms. This child labour elimination framework has been developed based on the NPA.

Inspectors from DIFE and DOL, front-line officials from MoSW, MoWCA, MoPME, other relevant ministries, CSOs and community levels within or related to the scope of work of the society will implement it, she added.

Around 40 officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments, Department of Labour, Department of Social Welfare, Department of Women Affairs, other concerned departments, UNICEF and NGO representatives were present in the workshop.

The workshop addressed the identified challenges by developing the capacity of inspectors and key practitioners on child protection in line with the Children Act 2013 and protecting children through the development of facilitation guidelines for master and core trainers on eliminating child labour.