by Harry Rutner, Senior Legal and Advocacy Officer
In 2022, members of CLARISSA and Dialogue Works met with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child for an informal round table to discuss Worst Forms of Child Labour. From that discussion the idea emerged of having children speak directly to Committee Members and provide recommendations on strengthening responses to the Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL). This event took place at the end of February 2024, and provided an opportunity for Committee Members to hear directly from children in the worst forms of child labour in Bangladesh and Nepal, a rare and exciting opportunity.
CSC is a core CLARISSA partner and has been working on the CLARISSA programme for over four years, assisting in delivering participatory processes and playing an advocacy role through focusing on supporting partners in Bangladesh and Nepal to create recommendations. In preparation for the Direct Exchange, CSC worked with CWISH, Grambangla, CSID and Dialogue Works to coordinate the Direct Exchange and prepare recommendations for the event.
The recommendations brought by the children were based on four years of co-produced action research (adults and children acting as researchers) with over 800 working children – where the same children who undertook research activities developed recommendations. Children from Bangladesh and Nepal, including those with disabilities worked together to develop key recommendations to present to Committee Members.
These recommendations included a number of key topics: wanting to study and work simultaneously, safer working conditions, clearer definitions of hazardous work, accessible healthcare, accessible workplaces and schools for children with disability and other key areas, which are outlined in our Recommendations Papers. As is consistent with what has been found through the CLARISSA programme, the children made clear to Committee Members that they do not want to stop working but instead want to be able to still continue their studies and work in safe environments.
The Direct Exchange was masterfully chaired by Ann Skelton, Chair of the UNCRC, and involved Committee Members Mikiko Otani, Rinchen Chopel, Sophie Kiladze and Velina Todorova, who heard first-hand the experiences and recommendations of the children. The Direct Exchange also provided an opportunity for children in WFCL to ask questions directly to the Committee Members.
The focus for most of the discussion was how the children and the Committee could work together to advocate for the implementation of these recommendations on a domestic but also an international level, guiding other countries in the region and globally.
The Direct Exchange highlighted the need for child rights mainstreaming on a domestic and international level and the power of hearing from children with lived experiences on what changes they want to see systemically and in their own lives. This event put in focus the need for child participation and that it is those with lived experiences who know best what changes they want in their own lives. We are excited to see the next steps and how the Committee and CLARISSA can work together to implement the recommendations of children.