Committee: UNHRC

Agenda Item:
‘Resolving The Issues Surrounding Child Labour & Child Exploitation in East and
South Asia
Country: Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from
the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it
the world's second-largest country by total area, with the world's longest coastline. Its
border with the United States is the world's longest international land border.

Policies:
*that Canada made to solve the problem of child labour and exploitation in its own country (not East and
South Asia).

 Canada has implemented various laws to protect children from exploitation. These
laws set minimum age requirements for employment and establish working hour
limits for young workers.
 Canada promotes access to quality education as a means to prevent child labour. It
provides free public education to children, ensuring that they have the opportunity
to attend school rather than engage in work.
 Labour inspectors are responsible for monitoring workplaces to ensure compliance
with child labour laws. They conduct regular inspections to identify and address
any violations.
 Canada offers various youth employment programs and initiatives designed to
provide young people with safe and skill-building opportunities, reducing the
likelihood of their involvement in hazardous work.
 The government conducts public awareness campaigns to educate the public about
the importance of eradicating child labor and the signs of child exploitation.
 Canada has established mechanisms for reporting instances of child labor or child
exploitation, ensuring that concerned individuals or organizations can bring
violations to the authorities' attention.
 Canada collaborates with international organizations like the ILO and UNICEF to
share best practices, gather information, and work together on global efforts to
combat child labor.
Possible Solutions:
*for East and South Asian countries

- Governments should enact and rigorously enforce laws that establish minimum working
ages, regulate working conditions, and impose penalties for violators.

- Improve access to free, quality education, particularly in rural and impoverished areas.
This can reduce the economic necessity for children to work.

- Raise public awareness about the harmful effects of child labor and child exploitation
through media campaigns, advocacy efforts, and community outreach programs.

- Implement poverty reduction programs that provide financial support and livelihood
opportunities to families, reducing their reliance on child labor for income.

- Provide vocational training and skill development programs for adults, enabling them to
find better employment opportunities and support their families.

- Develop comprehensive national policies and action plans that involve multiple
stakeholders and address the root causes of child labor and exploitation.
Research:

Intro/opening speech:
Every child deserves a safe and nurturing environment, access to basic necessities
like food, healthcare, and education, a voice in matters that affect them, and an
equal chance to succeed in life.

Unfortunately, this is not a reality for many children. At the start of 2020, it was
reported that 160 million children were engaged in child labor globally, with 79
million of them in hazardous conditions. This number doesn’t even include girls
who are engaged in unpaid household and domestic work. It is important to note
that the children most vulnerable to child labor are often those who are subject to
discrimination and exclusion, including girls, ethnic or religious minorities, and
children living with disabilities.

Child labor and exploitation in South Asia are the result of multiple factors,
including poverty, inadequate job opportunities for adults and adolescents,
migration, and emergencies.

Preventing child labor and other forms of exploitation requires integrated

approaches that address poverty, strengthen child protection systems, improve
education access and quality, and mobilize public support for children's rights.

It is Canada’s responsibility, along with all countries, to protect the right of every
child to a childhood.

RESEARCH POINTS:
 Canada remains fully committed to upholding human rights and
international labour standards. The Government of Canada has
introduced a forced labour import ban, which applies to all imports,
regardless of origin. We continue to engage in risk assessment of
federal procurement supply chains to identify which goods are at a
higher risk of having been made or produced with the use of child
labour, forced labour, or human trafficking.
 Canada joins with its partners around the world to stand up in the fight
against child labour and ensure that children at home and abroad can
experience a healthy and safe childhood.
 A UNICEF’s recent study points out that inequality, which stems from
gender, age, socio-economic status, caste/ethnicity, influences the
chance of children engaging in child labour, types of work they engage
and severity of exploitation. For example, child domestic workers are
mostly girls who are often hardly visible and face many hazards.
Children from lower caste or marginalized ethnic groups could be more
targeted for child recruitment to armed groups in conflict situations.
Migrant children are also vulnerable to hidden and illicit labour and
trafficking.