Child labour and trafficking is a cross-cutting issue in the Pacific Islands that needs a sub-regional hub to seriously look into and find ways of addressing the issue.
International Labour Organisation sub-regional director David Lamotte highlighted this at the close of an ILO sub-regional Child Labour and Trafficking in Nadi, Fiji, Friday.
“We all want a world free of child labour and trafficking,” Lamotte said.
“The vision of having a child labour and trafficking free environment in the Pacific region is a realistic one that needs a multi-sectoral approach,” he added.
He said the establishment of a regional hub on the issue “is a must”.
“Establishment of a technical hub for the Pacific region would allow coordination work from Pacific islands to send in their national reports and a way forward of eradicating the problem.”
Meanwhile, Solomon Islands’ Commissioner of Labour Josiah Manehia said having a regional hub wold allow each country to look at the issue in its cultural setting, backgrounds, perspective and context.
“We are not denying the issue and it needs to be taken up from the governments level to regional levels,” Manehia said.
According to the International Labour Organisation, worst forms of Child labour and trafficking were found in the Asia Pacific region.
Worst forms on child labour and trafficking include commercial sexual exploitation of children, scavenging, begging, street vending, and involving in child armed forces.
By CHARLEY PIRINGI
in Nadi, Fiji
