48. The representative of the ILO stated that the exploitation of child labour had been of concern to the ILO since its establishment in 1919. ILO standards in this field had continued to develop, the most recent being the Convention on the Minimum Age for Admission to Employment, 1973 (No. 138) which was intended eventually to replace earlier instruments. He emphasized that the exploitation of child labour, more than child labour as such, should be of concern to the international community, although the long-term goal of the ILO was the elimination of child labour. Referring to the ILO contributions (issued in documents E/CN.4/Sub.2/34 and E/CN.4/Sub.2/451), he informed the Working Group that the Governing Body of the ILO had requested member States, in accordance with article 19 of the ILO Constitution, to report in 1980 on the position in their law and practice in regard to the Minimum Age Convention and Recommendation, 1973. A general survey would be undertaken on the basis of these reports by the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations and presented to the International Labour Conference in 1981. He pointed out that often the problem was more one of enforcement than of standard-setting, and that the intervention of non-governmental organizations helped the ILO form an idea of practices in various countries. In his view, the figure of 55 million children in productive employment world-wide contained in recent ILO statistics was a gross underestimation, due to the many problems of definition involved. He also referred to other areas of ILO activity, such as research, the promotion of labour inspection, and the problem of linking minimum age of admission to employment to compulsory education. In conclusion, he stated that the ILO would continue to do its best in this area. and to co-operate with all relevant parts of the United Nations system in this common endeavour.
49. Commenting on some of the proposals made by the Anti-Slavery Society in the papers submitted to the Working Group, one member pointed out that most of the recommendations for ection were addressed to the Governments. In his view, however, the United Nations had a responsibility to devise its own form of action to deal with the problems raised.
50. In addition, a representative of the Anti-Slavery Society informed the Working Group on supplementary research which the Society had carried out in Morocco on the question of child labour in the carpet industry, an issue which the Working Group had considered since its second session. Referring to the reply submitted to the Working Group by the Government of Morocco
(E/CN.4/Sub.2/AC.2/26/Add.2), he stated that the Society's researchers had not found any improvements in the working conditions of children in the carpet factories. He urged the Working Group to recommend to the Sub-Commission that the Government of Morocco be invited to take more effective measures to ameliorate the situation.