Contents
List of abbreviations Foreword Acknowledgements
page xii xv xvii
Introduction A. Trade measures on child labour I. The problem of child labour and the international community II. The trade and labour linkage B. Contents C. Some definitions I. Trade sanctions and trade measures II. Effectiveness
1.
1 1 1 2 11 12 12 13
The problem of child labour A. Introduction B. Defining child labour I. Introduction II. Historical and cultural perspectives of childhood III. The concept of child labour C. Forms of child labour I. Hazardous working conditions II. Domestic service III. Street children IV. The informal economy V. The unconditional worst forms of child labour
14 14 14 14 15 17 19 19 20 21 21 21 vii
viii
2.
contents
D. Statistics: Distribution of child labour E. Causes of child labour I. Supply-side factors II. Demand-side factors F. Economic consequences of child labour G. Strategies for combating child labour I. Introduction II. Action against child labour H. Conclusion of Chapter 1
22 25 25 29 31 31 31 31 33
The prohibition of child labour in international law A. Introduction B. UN conventions and protocols and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights I. The Slavery Convention II. The Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery III. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights – Art. 4 IV. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – Art. 8 V. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights – Art. 24 (1) VI. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights – Art. 10 (3) VII. The Convention on the Rights of the Child – Art. 32 VIII. The Convention on the Rights of the Child – Art. 34 IX. The Convention on the Rights of the Child – Art. 35 X. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography XI. The Convention on the Rights of the Child – Art. 38 XII. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts XIII. The scope of the prohibition of exploitative child labour under UN conventions, protocols and the UDHR C. ILO conventions and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work
35 35 35 35
38 45 53 61 62 67 75 77
78 78
79 80 82
contents
Convention concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour No. 29 II. Convention concerning the Abolition of Forced Labour No. 105 III. Conventions concerning conditions of work and employment IV. Minimum Age Convention No. 138 and Recommendation No. 146 V. Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour No. 182 VI. The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work VII. The scope of the prohibition of child labour under ILO conventions, recommendations and the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work D. The protection from exploitative child labour as customary law E. The protection from exploitative child labour as a general principle of law F. The protection from exploitative child labour as ius cogens G. Conclusion of Chapter 2
ix
I.
3.
UN and ILO implementation mechanisms for the prohibition of child labour A. Introduction B. The UN human rights implementation mechanism I. Introduction II. The treaty-based system III. Extra-conventional UN procedures IV. Conclusion C. The ILO Implementation System I. Introduction II. The supervisory bodies III. The regular supervisory system IV. The Follow-up under the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work V. The special procedures VI. Promotional activities
82 86 87 88 95 103
107 110 110 114 119
122 122 123 123 124 145 153 154 154 155 155 167 172 178
x
4.
5.
contents
VII. Case study – Myanmar VIII. Evaluation of the ILO implementation system D. Conclusion of Chapter 3
183 192 194
Trade measures on child labour A. Introduction B. Social clauses in regional and bilateral trade agreements I. Introduction II. US Free Trade Agreements III. EU Economic Agreements IV. Conclusion C. Social clauses in Generalized Systems of Preferences I. Introduction II. The US GSP III. The EU GSP IV. Conclusion D. Unilateral and other national trade measures on child labour I. Introduction II. Section 307 of the US Tariff Act of 1930 III. The Massachusetts Act on Burma (Myanmar) IV. The Belgian Social Label Law V. The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme VI. Conclusion E. Corporate social responsibility I. Introduction II. Codes of conduct III. Social labelling IV. Socially responsible investment V. Global reporting VI. Other employer/TNC initiatives VII. Evaluation F. Conclusion of Chapter 4
195 195
Recommendations for an ILO–WTO enforcement regime A. Introduction B. Addressing the fear of protectionism
376 376 377
195 195 197 253 279 284 284 285 300 315 318 318 318 322 323 329 331 332 332 336 360 366 367 368 371 373
contents
C.
Basic I. II. III. IV. V. VI.
principles Trade-related or country-related standards? Institutional structure Cooperative activities Public communications Consultations Dispute settlement
xi
379 379 380 381 382 383 383
Concluding summary A. Summary of results B. Epilogue
386 386 388
Bibliography Index
390 418