TECL II
Technical Support
The programme Towards the Elimination of worst forms of Child Labour (TECL) provides technical support to assist Namibia develop a national plan of action on child labour and strengthen its capacity to implement the plan.
TECL is a joint initiative of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Government and other stakeholders and operates from the ILO’s regional offices in Pretoria, South Africa.
Through practical support, TECL assists the national government in fulfilling its responsibilities under ILO Convention No 182 on the Prohibition and Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour and Convention 139 on the Minimum Age for Employment. It works particularly closely with the office of the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare.
TECL’s mandate is for a limited period. The programme commenced work in 2004 and is scheduled to wrap up its activities at the end of 2007. A possible extension to mid-2008 is under discussion.
TECL’s major contribution lies in:
- Working closely with the lead Ministry to achieve the necessary level of coordination and cooperation among government departments, organised business and labour and other relevant structures of civil society.
- Commissioning essential research to supplement research already undertaken in the country and sharing information on child labour to create an informed circle of critical stakeholders.
- Facilitating participative processes to create a national plan of action that will guide all role players and focus their efforts in working towards the elimination of worst forms of child labour.
- Assisting governments to review existing laws, policies and programmes in the light of their commitment to eliminate worst forms of child labour.
- Creating greater awareness across society of the nature of child labour, its damaging effects and how united action is the key to eliminating child labour.
- Initiating, managing and evaluating pilot projects to develop effective methods for tackling child labour in the specific conditions prevailing in the five countries served.
The ILO’s International Programme to Eliminate Child Labour (IPEC) is funded by a range of countries. Funders play no direct role in operations on the ground. In terms of this arrangement, TECL has been funded by the United States Department of Labour. TECL contributes only modest material resources to country initiatives and its far greater contribution is in terms of expertise and access to international experience and networks.
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