Child labour convention
In June 2001 New Zealand ratified the International Labour Organisation Convention 182 Concerning the Worst Forms of Child Labour. For the purposes of the Convention, the term "child" applies to all persons under 18 years of age and the term "the worst forms of child labour" comprises:
- all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict;
- the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances;
- the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as defined in the relevant international treaties;
- work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children.
To raise public awareness and understanding of Convention 182 and encourage initiatives to identify and eliminate the worst forms of child labour in New Zealand, the government has formed the Child Labour Officials Advisory Committee (CLOAC). CLOAC is a multi agency government committee and Police are represented on that committee. The Department of Labour website has more information on Convention 182 and links to related websites.
There are a number of offences in the Crimes Act 1961, Misuse of Drugs Act 1975 and Films, Videos, and Publications Classification Act 1993 that are relevant for the purposes of this Convention and it is important that persons advise Police if they become aware of a child that may be involved in the worst forms of child labour, so that appropriate action can be taken.
