TNAG-0873-FCO40-1083-Employment-of-children-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 53

HKK210/2

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this

No. The 12/9,

Department of Public Information

FE

United Nations

Press Release

Press Section

Round-up of Session

United Nations, New York

HR/1846

1. Ce HK+GD forp 2. Inter

27 August 1979

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FE, 19.

WORKING GROUP ON SLAVERY CALLS FOR PROTECTION OF CHILDREN'S RIGHTS,

ENDS SESSION AT GENEVA

(Received from the United Nations Information Service, Geneva.)

The Working Group on Slavery ended a session at Geneva on Friday, 24 August, after recommending that an urgent appeal be sent to all Governments "to ensure that adequate legislation to protect the rights of working children is enacted and properly enforced". It suggested that organizations of the United Nations system be called on to co-operate in eliminating the cxploitation of child labour.

The Working Group addressed its recommendations to its parent body, the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minoritics. The Sub-Commission was asked to urge Governments to "make consideration of the needs of working children an important aspect of their economic and social planning".

The Group had been meeting at Geneva since 16 August (Scc Press Release HR/1832 for background information).

Main Recommendations

The Group made recommendations concerning debt bondage practices, slavery and the slave trade, the exploitation of child labour, the sale of children, the slavery-like practices of apartheid and colonialism, and the traffic in persons and exploitation of the prostitution of others.

The main recommendations to be submitted to the Sub-Commission included:

The Sub-Commission should bring the report of the Working Group to the attention of the Government of India for information.

The Sub-Commission should examine with the specialized agencies the possibility of promoting information campaigns among villagers in countrics where debt bondage cxists in order to inform them of their rights under national legislation and international instruments.

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For information media not an official record