For Immediate Release
9 November 2017 – Geneva – The International Labour Organization (ILO) Governing Body has concluded the discussion regarding the collaboration between the organisation and the tobacco industry, calling on the Director-General to develop “an integrated ILO strategy to address decent work deficits in the tobacco sector” while “taking into account all views expressed in the current session.”
The integrated strategy, to be developed and presented at the Governing Body session in March 2018, will have significant impact on the realisation of the legal and human rights of the children and families of more than 40 million tobacco farmers in over 120 countries worldwide.
The ECLT Foundation renews its commitment to these children, their families, and their communities. The Foundation will continue to advocate for strong policies in both government and private sector, which evolve into laws and responsible business practices that keep children out of labour and promote decent work, in line with international legal frameworks including ILO Conventions 138, 182 and 184.
Through our efforts directly in tobacco-growing communities, the ECLT Foundation has seen concrete results, which are maximised by working in partnership to find collaborative solutions for the systemic causes of child labour. Therefore, the Foundation seeks to engage all relevant stakeholders, even those with differing views, on how to bring about sustainable social change for the children and communities we serve.
ECLT will continue to priortise impact and transparency for all of its work, as well as continuing research while sharing best practices and effective models to increase our global efforts to accelerate the transformation of agricultural communities, for the ultimate benefit of children, farmers and their families.
For more information: media@eclt.org