Progressive elimination of child labour
33.
Calls upon all States:
(a)
To translate into concrete action their commitment to the progressive and effective elimination
of child labour contrary to accepted international standards and urges them, as a matter of priority, to eliminate
the worst forms of child labour, such as forced labour, forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in
armed conflict, bonded labour and other forms of slavery;
(b)
That have not yet done so to consider ratifying the conventions of the International Labour
Organization relating to child labour, in particular Convention No. 182 (1999) concerning the Prohibition and
Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, Convention No. 29 (1930)
concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour and Convention No. 138 (1973) concerning Minimum Age for
Admission to Employment;
(c)
To examine and devise economic policies, where necessary, in cooperation with the
international community, that address factors contributing to child labour contrary to accepted international
standards;
(d)
To promote education as a key strategy to prevent child labour contrary to accepted
international standards, including the creation of vocational training opportunities and apprenticeship
programmes and integrating working children into the formal education system;
34.
Also calls upon all States systematically to assess and examine the magnitude, nature and
causes of child labour and to elaborate and implement strategies for the elimination of child labour contrary to
accepted international standards, giving special attention to specific dangers faced by girls, as well as to the
rehabilitation and social reintegration of the children concerned;
Children alleged to have or recognized as having infringed the penal law
35.
Reaffirms the need for States to ensure that every child alleged to have or recognized as having
infringed the penal law is treated with dignity in accordance with their obligations under the Convention on the
Rights of the Child and other relevant international human rights instruments, including the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, expressing deep concern, inter alia, about cases of children prosecuted
without account being taken of their special needs, kept in arbitrary detention, subjected to torture or cruel,
inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment or subjected to punishment contrary to accepted international standards and,
in this regard, calls upon States to take all the necessary measures to protect children from these practices;
36.
Calls upon States:
(a)
To ensure that all structures, procedures and programmes in the administration of justice with
regard to children who infringe the penal law promote their re-education and rehabilitation, encouraging,
whenever appropriate and desirable, measures for dealing with such children without resorting to judicial
proceedings, and providing that human rights and legal safeguards are fully respected;
(b)
To take appropriate steps to ensure compliance with the principle that depriving children of
their liberty should be used only as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time, in
particular before trial, and to ensure that, if they are arrested, detained or imprisoned, children are separated from
adults, to the greatest extent feasible, unless it is considered in their best interest not to do so;
(c)
Also to take appropriate steps to ensure that no child in detention is sentenced to forced labour
or deprived of access to and provision of health-care services, hygiene and environmental sanitation, education
and basic instruction, taking into consideration the special needs of children with disabilities in detention, in
accordance with their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
(d)
Parties to comply with the Convention, in their national legislation and practice, and all States
to bear in mind the Guidelines for Action on Children in the Criminal Justice System which appear in the annex
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