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Here you can find statements from ECLT, reports from the field and news of recent publications like our Annual Report. To find out what happened in previous years look at the news archive.
ECLT Foundation Appoints New Executive Director
A leader in child protection
The ECLT Foundation, an international alliance of tobacco growers, unions and companies that seeks to end child labour in tobacco-growing, is delighted to announce the appointment of its new Executive Director. Sonia Velazquez, an international leader in child protection, joined the Foundation in Geneva at the beginning of April as Executive Director. Recently, Ms. Velazquez was Senior Vice president of the Children’s Division of the American Humane Association in Washington, DC, after an outstanding career with diverse child-focused organizations such as PLAN International and Save the Children, which included working in field offices as well as in headquarters.
Honoured and privileged
Commenting on her appointment, Sonia said: “I am honoured and privileged to be asked to lead the ECLT Foundation and its capable staff. Advancing the mission and exemplary program model of ECLT adds a unique dimension to my lifelong career in child protection. I am looking forward to the challenges that fighting child labour in tobacco-growing will bring, and to partnering with the families and communities where ECLT works. We want to ensure that many more children can be protected and that the opportunities they
need to thrive and develop are provided.”
ECLT – Ten years of fighting child labour
The ECLT, which has just celebrated ten years of existence, focuses its work in three distinct areas. Firstly, it supports and funds programmes that protect children from child labour. ECLT projects help families and whole communities, and engage national and local decision makers in tackling the complex root causes of child labour. Secondly, to be effective, ECLT needs to have a reliable picture of the local conditions of children affected by child labour and of the specific reasons for these conditions. The Foundation commissions research that highlights the causes and extent of child labour in each of our areas, and measures the impact of the programmes. Thirdly, ECLT disseminates successful practices drawn from its experience with tobacco-growing communities to facilitate replication.
The President of the ECLT Foundation, Antonio Abrunhosa, added:
“I am delighted that Sonia Velazquez has joined us at the ECLT. Her broad expertise will help our alliance in our tireless quest to eliminate child labour in tobacco-growing. That’s why, as we work together to face the challenges ahead, I am confident that the second decade of the ECLT Foundation will be even more successful than the first.”
World Day Against Child Labour 2011
12th June 2011
The theme for this year’s World Day Against Child Labour is hazardous work. As much agricultural work is considered hazardous, it is of particular significance when addressing child labour in tobacco growing.
Click here to read ECLT’s statement
Global March Action on Domestic Work Sector
9th June 2011
The ECLT Foundation supports the efforts of all those who seek to eliminate child labour in sectors other than agriculture. To that end, we fully back the Global March Against Child Labour in its campaign to reduce child labour in the domestic work sector, particularly its recent campaign in support of the proposed ILO Convention on the domestic work sector.
2010 Annual Report
8th June 2011
The 2010 Annual Report has been released. It contains stories about people who have benefited from our projects, as well as a summary of all ECLT’s achievements over the year.
Download the 2010 ECLT Annual Report
Sign the petition
2 September 2010
Global March has launched a campaign to demand the inclusion of child labour elimination as a global priority. Eliminating child labour is critical to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.
2009 Annual Report
23 June 2010
The 2009 Annual Report has been released. For the first time it includes stories about some of the people who benefit from ECLT’s projects.
ECLT project features on BBC World
5 June 2010
Child labour in Malawi was the subject of a BBC World broadcast on Saturday 5 June 2010. The programme featured child labour in tobacco farming in Malawi and highlighted the work of ECLT.
Watch a clip of BBC World’s “Working Lives: Human Traffic”
Channel 4 documentary highlights child labour in Malawi
15 May 2010
ECLT was saddened to see Channel 4’s Unreported World which aired in the UK on 14 May 2010. The documentary showed very young children forced to work in hazardous conditions and denied their right to go to school.
Global conference steps up action to eliminate worst forms of child labour
11 May 2010
A global conference in the Hague on 10-11 May approved a roadmap to step up action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour by 2016.
World Day Against Child Labour 2010
5 May 2010
The World Day Against Child Labour is on 12 June 2010. It follows a major Global Conference on Child Labour in the Netherlands in May. The World Day will call for a scale up the worldwide movement to tackle child labour.
US bill aims to eliminate child labour
30 April 2010
A US bill aims to eliminate the use of child labour in the production of goods imported to the US. ECLT is concerned that the bill may increase poverty and therefore exacerbate child labour.
New president for ECLT
15 January 2010
Antonio Abrunhosa, was elected President of the ECLT Foundation Board at the end of 2009.
