Child
Rights Glossary : T
TIME-BOUND PROGRAMME [on child
labour elimination]
A Time-Bound Programme is essentially a set of tightly integrated
and coordinated policies and programmes to prevent and eliminate
a country’s worst forms of child labour within a defined
period of time. It is a comprehensive approach that operates at
many levels, including international, national, provincial, community,
and individual or family. TBPs emphasize the need to address the
root causes of child labour, linking action against child labour
to the national development effort, with particular emphasis on
economic and social policies to combat poverty and to promote
universal basic education and social mobilization.
An important feature of a TBP is "country ownership",
meaning that the programme is activated and led by the country
itself. Official commitment sets it in motion, creates the structure
through which it will be implemented, and provides resources.
IPEC, with the support of the international community, backs this
commitment with additional financial resources and technical assistance.
Eliminating child labour’s worst forms requires a national
commitment to implement a series of complementary policy measures
designed to withdraw and rehabilitate working children and prevent
at-risk children from becoming child labourers. National commitment
involves more than government support for action, however. It
includes the participation of social partners. Convention No.
182 states that the identification of hazardous child labour,
the design of programmes, and the monitoring mechanism shall be
established in consultation with workers’ and employers’
organizations and other civil society groups.
Fundamental elements of Time-Bound Programmes
» Strong political
will and commitment to policy reforms to address the root causes
of the worst form of child labour.
» Linking child labour
action with poverty alleviation and efforts to provide accessible,
quality basic education.
» Building innovative
partnership with governments, international organizations and
financial institutions.
» Rapid response measures
for prevention, withdrawal and rehabilitation of the victims
of the worst forms of child labour.
» Provision of viable
alternatives: education for child labourers, income support
for their families.
» Social mobilization
and campaigns on the effect of the worst forms of child labour
on children and society and on children’s rights to protection
and education.
» Public accountability
of the implementation of national policy to combat child labour.
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