World Day Against Child Labor; UN Calls for 'Social Justice for All'

The United Nations, in a statement on the occasion of World Day Against Child Labor, emphasized the link between social justice and child labor, declaring the slogan for this day in 2023 as 'Social Justice for All, End Child Labor.' The number of working and street children, which has always been a contentious issue in Iran, has never been accurately reported, and governmental bodies responsible for this matter, such as the Welfare Organization, have stated that they are 'against the collection of working and street children.' The UN has described World Day Against Child Labor, held annually on June 12, as a backdrop for the growing global movement against child labor. In its statement, the organization called for the global ratification of ILO Convention No. 138 concerning the minimum age, which, along with the global ratification of ILO Convention No. 182, would provide legal protection for all children against all forms of child labor. The organization also called for the effective implementation of the 'Durban Call to Action,' which defines the commitments of the global community in six areas, including accelerating international efforts to end child labor, ending child labor in agriculture, and ensuring children's access to free and compulsory education. Gilbert Houngbo, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization, also stated that child labor is at odds with social justice. He pointed out that for the first time in 20 years, child labor has seen an upward trend globally: nearly one in ten children in the world is a child laborer. Worse still, half of them are engaged in hazardous work, posing a serious threat to their physical and mental health. The Director-General stated, 'The antidote to child labor is decent work for adults so they can support their families and send their children to school, not to work.' He described decent work as 'meaning the end of forced labor, creating safe and healthy workplaces, and allowing workers to organize and express their needs.' He concluded his message by stating that ending discrimination and supporting social justice are prerequisites for achieving these goals. Regarding child labor in Iran, Mohammad Reza Heydarahi, head of the Social Victims Affairs Office of the Welfare Organization, stated in April this year that in addition to '120,000 child laborers' identified in 2022, about '14,500 street children' have also been identified. According to ISNA news agency, Heydarahi emphasized that the Welfare Organization, as a 'social worker-oriented' organization, is generally 'against the collection of working and street children,' as the issue of working and street children is one that must be addressed 'at its roots,' and collecting these children 'does not solve their problems.' He added that focusing on collecting working and street children for two to three weeks might temporarily reduce their presence on the streets; however, their problems remain unresolved, and only their working model has changed. Heydarahi noted, 'If they are teenagers, they may be used in drug sales and trafficking, and if they are younger, they may end up in underground workshops or scavenging.' Previously, the Shargh Network, affiliated with Shargh newspaper, published a video report of a workshop where young children, including a six-year-old, were working. Mahmoud Ali-Goo, head of the Social Emergency Office, stated two years ago that the number of working children in workshops and on the streets, as well as scavenging children, reaches '500,000.' Additionally, Hamshahri newspaper reported on June 12 last year that according to available statistics, 70,000 working children live in Iran, with unofficial estimates suggesting the number could be around one million. Mehdi Eisa-Zadeh, head of the Social Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also previously stated that '13 agencies' are responsible for child labor, but after 42 years, 'no specific statistics on children have been provided, which is embarrassing.' Meanwhile, Saba Alaleh, a psychologist and social activist, stated on April 10 to the Persian section of Voice of America that the Iranian government has always evaded responsibility for child labor. A member of the Tehran City Council noted that 'working and street children' have increased. The European Trade Union Confederation criticized the Islamic Republic's treatment of workers. A labor organization reported that strikes by workers in South Pars continue. Arrests in South Pars continue; the Bushehr governor's office reported that the 'second leader' of the workers' strike has been arrested.