Dear colleagues attending the 3rd Global Conference on Child Labor,
During these three days of gathering we have been here to reinforce the idea that we have the fundamental role of designing public policies aimed at ending child labor in the world.
We have a different view from the adults on seeing and feeling the world. Just as the elderly do. Many times, adults only remember what they have done wrongly and hideously when they were adolescents.
We are hearty and we have a lot of willingness, but we still need adults who give us a prod and create new forms of including us into the policy making process, destined for ourselves, the adolescents. So as to stimulate our participation better leeway must be created for us, to make it happen.
Oftentimes, in our very homes, we are incentivized to work at an early age. And then what should one do under a situation like this? As we are able to understand and get hold of our rights, we are also able to interfere in our families’ thinking and practices. Although they wish the best for us, they may not be right at all times.
If I am to be tomorrow’s policy maker or manager, I also need to scuttle barriers created by today’s adults, so as to renew their right steps, but not repeat the same mistakes.
After a lot of discussion, we have reached the point of five issues we would like the present delegations to take special heed of, which will encourage our participation in the places where policy making takes place, as well as conferences, and also within the very policies on eradication of child labor in our planet.
These are our statements:
- Mobilization and articulation by public administration, civil society, including children, adolescents and the youth for the strengthening the public policies targeted at fighting child labor, especially domestic child labor and its presence in agriculture.
- The broadening of social programs of income transfers so as to contribute to eradication of world’s misery and eradication of child labor.
- Deployment of commitments alongside with the governments in order to ensure children’s and adolescents’ participation in integral education public policies, in professional education, culture, sports and leisure.
- Integration of policies for education, health and social aid aimed at identifying situations of child labor and support services for the other situations of rights violations.
- Ensure the participation of children, adolescents and youths with leeway for policy decision making, especially at the 4th Global Conference on Child Labor in 2017, from the very preparatory phases up to the final stage.
And we would like to ask, on behalf of all the children and adolescents, for the commitment of signatures of Convention 182 by the International Organization of Labor up until the 4th Global Conference on Child Labor for the nine countries which still have not advocated that children and adolescents from these countries be protected from the worst forms of child labor.
Lastly, we wish to thank the organizing commission of this Conference for understanding that without our participation, it is not feasible to move forward in building up a fairer world for children and adolescents.
The following people have signed this Declaration of the Adolescents: Ítalo Meotti (DF), Rafael Lima (CE), Rogério Silva (RS), Sarah Suzane (AC), Thailane Oliveira (RJ), Wesley Busatto (ES), Marco Antônio (TO), Hilamy Moreira (AM), Laisnanda Sousa (MA), Daniel Vonmuller (SC), Laiana Souza (BA), Danielle Fiel (PB), Matheus Farias (RN), Dayana (PA), Fábio (AP), Júlio César (MG), Weverson Antônio (MT), Alanna Santos (SE), Thamires Rozendo (AL), Lucas Soares de Oliveira (MS) and Suzana Silva (PE).