CRC/C/HND/CO/3
page 18
Economic exploitation, including child labour
72. The Committee notes the setting up of the National Commission for the Eradication of
Child Labour, as well as the formulation and adoption of the National Plan of Action for the
Gradual and Progressive Eradication of Child Labour. However, the Committee is concerned at
the following:
(a)
No specific funds have been allocated for implementing the National Plan;
(b) A large number of children - especially in rural areas and among the indigenous
people - are still working in high-risk and exploitative conditions. Of particular concern to
the Committee is the situation of children exploited for deep-sea fishing, especially in
Puerto Lempira, with grave consequences for their health;
(c) Child domestic workers often face difficult working conditions, such as long
distances from home, low wages and long working hours, and are particularly vulnerable to
ill-treatment and abuse, including sexual abuse, at the hands of their employers;
73.
(d)
A high number of children between 14 and 17 are working in mines;
(e)
A high percentage of working children do not attend school.
The Committee recommends that the State party:
(a) Undertake a survey of the number of children working, including as domestic
workers and in the agricultural sector, in order to design and implement comprehensive
strategies and policies to prevent and combat their economic exploitation;
(b) Improve the labour inspection system in order to ensure that the work
performed by children is light work and not exploitative and/or hazardous;
(c) Ensure the implementation of legislation fully covering article 32 of the
Convention, and ILO Conventions No. 138 and No. 182, including, in particular,
identification of hazardous forms of work at the national level;
(d) Ensure adequate budget allocation for the implementation of the National Plan
of Action for the Gradual and Progressive Eradication of Child Labour;
(e) Undertake awareness-raising campaigns to prevent and combat the economic
exploitation of children;
(f) Seek technical assistance from the International Labour Organization’s
International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC/ILO), and UNICEF,
among others.