The Secretariat of State for Professional Training and Employment (SoSPTE), in cooperation with the Brazilian Government, held a meeting on  October 13 to present the approval of the Terms of Reference of the National Commission Against Child Labor (NCCL).

This approval is not only a response from Timor-Leste in relation to preventing and ending child labor in its most severe form, but also as a first step towards the official establishment of the commission.

The Secretary of State for Professional Training and Employment, Bendito Freitas, acknowledged “the reality of the involvement of children at work, a fact which is due to various circumstances such as the weak economy of the family, social and cultural problems, among others. Children have the right to go to school, enjoy their free time to play with their friends, whether at home or in schools. The government and society in general have an obligation to protect children because they are the future of the country”.

The SoSPTE, in partnership with organizations employers of workers, with the support of the Government of Brazil and the International Labor Organization (ILO), cooperated in the establishment of the National Commission against Child Labour (NCCL).

The NCCL involves 15 government institutions and social partners, with SoSPTE as the coordinator. The Commission will monitor progress to prevent and end child labor, as defined in ILO Convention C182 on the severe form of child labor. This includes the development of a National Action Plan, a list of jobs considered dangerous and the prevention of work by children aged less than 18 years, proposing policies aimed at protecting the rights of children and adolescents.