IPEC's worldwide aim is the progressive elimination of child labour, emphasizing the eradication of worst forms as rapidly as possible. IPEC works to achieve this aim internationally as well as nationally in the following ways: through country-based programmes which promote policy reform and put in place concrete measures to end child labour, and through international and national campaigning intended to change social attitudes and promote ratification and effective implementation of ILO child labour conventions. Complementing these efforts in Lebanon, establishment of databanks on child labour, harmonization of national legislation with international conventions and the establishment of a strategy for a policy and programme framework on child labour to be adopted by the Lebanese governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Priority Areas for IPEC – Lebanon
• Preparation of a National Policy and Programme Framework for combating child labour in the country that involves all partner organizations concerned with the problem. This will include primarily tri-partite partners in addition to governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as the Social, Health, Labour , Education and Child Rights Committees at the Lebanese Parliament
• Strengthening the national capacity of Ministries related to child labour issues.
• Strengthening the capacity of social partners and NGOs to implement direct action programmes to prevent children at risk from entering the workforce and to withdraw working children from exploitative and hazardous work. In addition to tripartite and other governmental institutions, Social partners in Lebanon are coming to include groups of collaborating NGO’s at regional levels, Governors nd municipalities.
• Awareness Raising on child labour issues nationwide, in communities and at workplaces;
• Protection of working child, rehabilitation and reintegration into the education system;
• Promote vocational training and non-formal education for working children;
• Promote development and application of protective legislation as well as ensuring enforcement of existing legislation;
• The most exploitative forms of child labour
• Children in hazardous working conditions and occupations; and
• Children who are particularly vulnerable, i.e. very young children working children (below the age of 12), and working girls.
 

[TOP]

Summary of IPEC – Lebanon Projects
Since Lebanon has signed the Memorandum of Understanding with ILO-IPEC and launched its IPEC programme in June 2000, Lebanon has initiated significant programmes in addressing the issue of child labour in Lebanon. To date, these include 10 IPEC sponsored ( French Government Donation) projects aimed at:
• preventing hundreds of children from dropping out of school and especially those
who are working at the same time
• withdrawing hundreds of children from work and providing them with education
• supporting families of child labourers with alternative income opportunities
• preventing at-risk children from becoming child labourers
• raising the awareness and mobilizing the society
• establishing child labour units at Ministries of Labour and of Interior and municiplaities
• train labour inspectors on child labour
• train police on how to deal with working street children and child trafficking
• promoting protective legislation
• Sensitizing and mobilizing Lebanese Trade Unions on How to combat child labour
• carrying out an RA on children working in the footwear and garment sector and
mobilizing employers to act against child labour in all industries generally and in selected sectors specifically
• Preventing school dropouts and early entry into Labour of children in Palestinian camps in Lebanon
• establishing centers especially designed for working as well as at risk children

In general, IPEC Lebanon is aiming at strengthening the capacities of national governmental as well as non-governmental institutions to combat child labour. Moreover, great emphasis is placed on establishing and reinforcing coordination and collaboration between and amongst all national partners , at all levels of society
 

Action Programmes of IPEC – Lebanon

• Ministry of Labour
IPEC-Lebanon assisted in establishing a Child Labour Unit within the MOL and capacitating the committee which was established for the unit as well as the focal points appointed, to plan, manage and co-ordinate child labour related activities. The unit was also assisted to establish a database on child labour in Lebanon, and to revise legal framework for child labour and to harmonize national legislation with international standards. Moreover, Ministry of Labour are supervising in collaboration with IPEC a national policy and programme framework study to be announced in the summer of 2002. The Ministry of Labour has played a major role in raising the awareness amongst stakeholders in ratification of C.182. which has been ratified several months ago and C.138 to be ratified soon.

• Trade Unions
A central national Committee and 5 Regional committees have been established and capacitated to combat the worst forms of child labour and moreover to draw a plan of action against child labour. The Lebanese Trade unions have run a nationwide ( in universities) competition on the best drawing against child labour to be used as their logo and poster.

• Employers Organization
The Association of Lebanese Industrialists have finalized a rapid assessment on working children in the garment and footwear sector in the poverty belts of Beirut, of which its results are to be announced soon in the presence of NGO’s and other relevant stakeholders. Based on this assessment, ALI will draw out a capacity building programme for employers in selected sectors and a direct support programme to combat child labour in selected sector.

• Ministry of Interior
1) IPEC – Lebanon assisted in the initial establishment of committee against worst forms of child labour( especially working street children and child trafficking) in Ministry of Interior and in the training of focal point appointed by the Minister of Interior. A primary needs assessment of problem of working street children and child trafficking has taken place within Ministry by International Expert.

2) Governors of Lebanon have been mobilized by Ministry of Interior to combat worst forms of child labour in Lebanon. With the assistance of IPEC, all Governors of Lebanon have been trained to combat worst forms of child labour and on how to establish and operate Governorate Committees for the purpose.

• Ministry of Education
1) With the help of IPEC-Lebanon, the Ministry of Education has established an extensive center for working children in the Caza of Nabbattiye ( South Lebanon) which works in close collaboration with surrounding local NGO’s to serve the different needs of working children and their families and siblings in addition to raising the awareness of the community on child labour. All personnel of centre and of coordinating NGO’s have been capacitated on coordination nd collaboration skills in order to secure a smooth operation of the project

2) IPEC Lebanon is about to start a national survey with the Ministry of Education ( Guidance and Counselling Directorate) on the relationship between child labour and education in order to create a social support and educational model that will help the prevention of early school drop out and early entry into the labour force.

• Borj-Hammoud Sin el-Fil Coordination Committee of Social Organizations
22 NGO’s 2 municipalities and the Ministry of Social Affairs Development Centre have worked closely together to supervise a comprehensive regional programme against worst forms of child labour in the North Eastern Poverty Belts of Beirut. This programme is directly executed by eight out of the twenty two organizations.This programme, aims especially at most hazardous labour ( car mechanics, leather tanneries, child victims of prostitution and drug-trafficking). This programme sets a clear example of how wide social mobilization of related institutions and their ability to coordinate their services can be extremely effective in and productive in combating child labour in a certain region rather than having a sole institution working alone on the issue.

• Palestinian Camp of Ain El-Hilwe
IPEC-Lebanon has assisted a local NGPO’s in Ain el-Hilwe Palestinian Camp in South Lebanon to carry out a survey on child labour and education within the Palestinian educational programmes . Based on the survey IPEC-Lebanon will assist in planning a prevention of school dropout scheme.


• Lebanese Parlimentarian Committees for Labour, Health, Social Affairs, Education and Child Rights: IPEC – Lebanon “International Reference on Child Labour in Lebanon”
The Lebanese parliamentary committees for Labour, Social Affairs, Helath, Education and Child Rights have adopted child labour as one of their main issues and priorities on their agenda for action. In light of the latter and of IPEC activities in Lebanon, The mentioned committees have chosen IPEC-Lebanon to be the international reference on child labour and have invited IPEC-ILO Lebanon to present its programme to the concerned parliamentary committees and to put IPEC-ILO’s concerns and needs in front of them