Support to development and implementation of time-bound measures against the WFCL in Zambia

Executive summary This project document presents ILO-IPEC’s strategy for implementing the project, “Support to development and implementation of time-bound measures against the WFCL in Zambia”. This project aims to prepare the way for the development and implementation of a national time-bound programme (TBP) on the elimination of the WFCL in Zambia. There are significant challenges to be faced in Zambia. Among the WFCL in the country are commercial sexual exploitation, mining and quarrying, domestic labour, agricultural work and work in the urban informal economy. In addition, child trafficking is increasingly recognized as a serious problem that requires immediate attention. Zambia’s implementing environment, however, is favourable for a TBP. Zambia ratified C182 in 2001 and C138 in 1976. Since 2000, the ILO has implemented a number of IPEC projects in the country. This has led to substantially increased awareness on child labour, improved capacity among partners to deal with the issue and increased political commitment to tackle child labour, especially in its worst forms, in Zambia. This is coupled with positive economic growth over the past few years and with a political climate that is generally favourable to tackling poverty, HIV/AIDS and deficiencies in social service delivery within the framework of the Millennium Goals. There have also been a number of positive policy developments and legal reforms in 2004 and 2005. Notably, the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP), to be launched in July 2006, has as its overall priority to promote economic growth and employment creation to reduce poverty. Within the different sectors, detailed in the Plan, priority is given to addressing the needs of vulnerable children, youth and households. A specific programme towards the elimination of child labour is catered for under the employment and labour sector within the FNDP. The Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) is the custodian of this programme, and is well placed to coordinate national initiatives towards the elimination of child labour, having a functional Child Labour Unit (CLU) in place. It is expected that the relatively general programme in the FNDP can develop into a national TBP, starting from the development of a National Plan of Action (NPA) that will qualify and detail the general provisions of the FNDP. As such, the development of a national TBP, to be supported by this project, is embedded in overall national development priorities and frameworks. Zambia’s legal framework is also reasonably up-to-date as the Employment of Children and Young persons Act was amended in 2004 and a statutory Instrument outlining prohibited hazardous child labour in the country will be signed into force in 2006. The Penal Code was also amended in 2006 to prohibit trafficking. The environment as far of legal framework and policies are concerned is clearly moving towards a situation sufficiently enabling to establish comprehensive time-bound measures against the WFCL in Zambia. There is now a need to turn attention to the actual implementation of policies and enforcement of legislation. The TBP preparations have identified weak coordination mechanisms at national and local levels as a major gap that must be addressed as a priority to put in place and implement effective national time-bound measures against child labour. This applies to coordination mechanisms at both policy and operational levels. This project aims to assist the Government, social partners, NGOs and other partners to put in place time-bound measures and improve national capacity for their implementation through a national TBP. Within the framework of the Fifth National Development Plan, the new Employment and Labour Market Policy (2005), the new (draft) Child Development Policy and the (draft) Child Labour Policy, the Government of Zambia and its partners, are committed to put in place time-bound measures against the WFCL in Zambia. The following im

Project symbol

ZAM/06/50/USA

Admin unit

CO-Lusaka

Start date

01/09/2006

End date

30/04/2010

Total allocation

4207563

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

4207697

Development Partners

USA, United States Department of Labor, Bureau for International Labor Affairs, Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking

Country/Countries

Zambia

Outcomes

Child Labour