13. The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights contains a general prohibition of the employment of occupations dangerous to health or morals.
children under a given age and in
Article 10 (3) provides inter alia that
"Children and young persons should be protected from economic and social exploitation. Their employment in work harmful to their morals or heal th or dangerous to life or likely to hamper their normal development should be punishable by law. States should also set age limits below which the paid employment of child labour should be prohibited and punishable by law." 5/
14. The Declaration of the Rights of the Child (General Assembly resolution 1386 (XIV)) contains a similar prohibition. Principle 9 states:
15.
"1. The child shall be protected against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation. He shall not be the subject of traffic, in any form.
"2. The child shall not be admitted to employment before an appropriate' minimum age; he shall in no case be caused or permitted to engage in any occupation or employment which would prejudice his health or education, or interfere with his physical, mental or moral development."
The same text has been inserted in the draft Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article IX), under discussion by the Commission on Human Rights. 6
B. International Labour Organisation instruments
16. The International Labour Organisation stated that the abolition of child labour has been one of its basic aims since its founding. At the same time, the International Labour Organisation has also pursued a consistent policy of protecting working children from undesirable conditions of work. 7/ The International Labour Organisation instruments, therefore, fall into two basic categories.
1.
Instruments prohibiting child labour
17. The first instrument setting a minimum age for admission to employment was the Minimum Age (Industry) Convention (No. 5), adopted by the International Labour Conference at its first session in 1919. This Convention prohibited in principle
5/ As of 31 March 1979, the Covenant had been ratified by 58 States and signed by another 15. According to the procedure for submission of reports laid down by the Economic and Social Council in resolution 1988 (LX), State reports on the implementation of rights covered, inter alia, by article 10 are due by
1 December 1979.
6/ The text of the draft Convention is contained in resolution 20 (XXXIV) of 8 March 1978, as revised at the thirty-fifth session (See E/CN.4/1347, Chapter XI).
7/ Children and Work - An ILO Policy Framework for the International Year of the Child, 1972, International Labour Office, Geneva, February 1978, (ILO/Y.1/1978), p.2.
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