London-based group asks world leaders to stop ‘dangerous’ child labor

A London-based health and safety organization on Friday called on world leaders to stop children from “doing dangerous jobs.”

In a press statement, the British Safety Council said countries should “look again at the commitments they have made” on the matter and work on “what more they can do.”

According to Alex Botha, chief executive of the British Safety Council, about 168 million children are considered laborers, with 85 million –or nearly half – “are doing hazardous jobs, contrary to international agreements.”

“It’s unacceptable that there are still many countries that committed to stop this from happening that have not taken sufficient action to protect child laborers,” he said.

He added that countries should ask “what more they can do — whether by legislative, administrative or educational measures — to prevent children being exposed to risks that damage their health and future prospects.”

The organization’s call comes in line with the 25th anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“There have been improvements in the last 25 years, but this historic milestone must also serve as an urgent reminder of what remains to be done,” Botha said.

The Philippines is among the countries that ratified the said convention.

However, a survey of the National Statistics Office in 2011 said some three million children in the Philippines, from ages 5 to 17, are exposed to dangerous work environments.

Results of the survey showed that there were 5.492 million working children in the country. Nearly 45 percent, or 2.46 of them, are considered to be engaged in “permissible work” not classified as child labor. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/RSJ, GMA News