Online Conference on Combating Child Labour in ASEAN/Southeast Asia

Organised by the Vietnam National University-Law School, Southeast Asian Human Rights and Peace Studies Network (SEAHRN), & the Strengthening Human Rights and Peace Research and Education in ASEAN/Southeast Asia Programme (SHAPE-SEA), with the support of the International Labour Organization in Hanoi, Vietnam.RationaleChild labour is a socio-economic pandemic that continues to plague the lives of many. In the Asia-Pacific Region alone, there are about 62 Million children who are engaged in some form of labour.  In Vietnam, in particular, the 2018 National Child Labour Survey estimated, there were 1,031,944 cases, involving children aged between 5 to 17 years.Legal standards and mechanisms have been either developed or reformed to diminish child labor. However, based on the recent rise in the number of cases, legal safeguards seem to be not enough. There are many factors that still have to be addressed such as gender stereotypes, gender-based violence, poverty, the lack of decent work for adults, the lack of social protection, and failure to ensure quality education for all children. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic induced severe inequalities and disrupted work/movements towards the protection of vulnerable peoples ”including children. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR), the pandemic has devastating short, medium and long term effects on Children ”specifically those who are at the margins. This public health emergency not only restricts their movement, but also impacts their mental and physical health, as well as, the full enjoyment of their basic rights. As of the moment, literature on child labour in relation to the pandemic in the region has, so far, been bleak.On the regional front, the ASEAN Secretariat, together with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), U.S. Mission to ASEAN and the ILO on 26-27 August 2020 in Jakarta organised the Regional Inter-Sectoral Workshop on the Renewal of the ASEAN Roadmap for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2025. The Roadmap aims boost ASEAN ™s collective resilience and agility in promoting the livelihoods of the people and well-being of children in particular. Moving forward, the Roadmap will be submitted to the ASEAN Labour Ministers for adoption. Under this project, a conference involving various stakeholders is also planned in 2021 to discuss follow-up actions.In light of the current situation, the conference seeks to promote the role and participation of scholars and research agencies in the prevention of child labor in ASEAN countries. This also aims to develop practical lessons on effective initiatives and models to improve the effectiveness of child labor prevention among scholars and researchers in Southeast Asia. It will also contribute to the expansion of multi-sectoral networks, and attract more discourses and actions on intersecting issues affecting chid labour. It shall also emphasise on the role of governments in the prevention of child labor and promotion of SDG Goal 8.7.Desired OutcomesThe goal of this two half-day online conference is to meaningfully contribute to the implementation of the ASEAN Roadmap for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2025, and to enable long-term and sustainable means to fully prevent and eliminate of child labour in ASEAN/Southeast Asia.  What to ExpectThe conference shall be a platform for scholars, advocaates practitioners, government officials and representatives from the ASEAN bodies, ILO, UN, civil society organizations and private sector in ASEAN to share knowledge, experiences and to discuss:

• The role and participation of scholars, researchers, universities and research institutes in the prevention of child labor;
• Knowledge and experience on child labor prevention, including policy framework, laws, action programs, research, communication, teaching, initiatives, coordination model, and good lessons in this area in Southeast Asia
• Develop and/or strengthen multi-stakeholder collaboration in the field of child labor prevention and reduction in the region.

_____________________ Global estimates of child labour: Results and trends, 2012-2016. International Labour Office (ILO), Geneva, 2017. https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/—dgreports/—dcomm/documents/publication/wcms_575499.pdf Second Viet Nam National Child Labour Survey: Key findings, https://www.ilo.org/hanoi/Whatwedo/Publications/WCMS_764357/lang–en/index.htm https://ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/Children/ChildRights_2030Agenda.pdf https://asean.org/asean-reaffirms-commitment-eliminate-worst-forms-child-labour/

Day 1	3 June 2021 (Thursday)
13:00-13:15Hanoi time	Introduction and Zoom Instruction: Dr. Ngo Minh Huong, School of Law, Vietnam National University Hanoi Opening remarks by Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Que Anh, Dean, School of Law, Vietnam National University, Hanoi Welcome Remark: Hadi Punama- Convenor, SEAHRN, Chair of Human rights Center of University of Indonesia
13:15-13:45	Keynote Speech : Landscape of child labor in ASEAN in different sectorsMelizel Asuncion, Founding member, Southeast Asian Human rights Research Network (SEAHRN), and Senior Director, Verite Southeast Asia
13:45-14:45	Panel 1: Child Labour Vulnerability (10 minutes/speaker)Panel Chair: Dr. Ngo Minh Huong – Lecturer, VNU-School of Law Manotar Tampubolon – Faculty of Law, Christian University of Indonesia (Indonesia)A critical discourse on the eradication of child sex practices: A human rights perspective Zhouzheng Huang- PhD fellow, Institute Human Rights, China University of Political   Science and Law (China)Children Internet Celebrities: Digital Child Labor and Legal Countermeasure in China Dr PA PA SOE – Law Department from Mawlamyine University (Myanmar)Child Labour Protection in Myanmar: A Case Study in Yangon Prof. Dr. Tao Thi Quyen and Dao Thi Tung – Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics  (Vietnam)The relationship between the right to education of children and child labour: Reflection from minority groups in Vietnam 20 ˜ Discussion

14:45-15:00 Tea break

Day 1	3 June 2021 (Thursday)
15:00-15:45	Panel 2 : Child Labour   Vulnerability  (10 minutes/speaker)Panel Chair: Nguyen Thuy Duong, Lecturer, VNU-School of Law Dr. Aye Mar Win, Law Department, Mawlamyine University, Mon State, Myanmar and May Thu Zaw, East Yangon University, Yangon (Myanmar) Effective Protection of Child Labour in the Hazardous Workplace of MyanmarAnanya Ramani “ Independent researcher (Thailand)Migrant Children left behind: a legal and policy Analysis to address migrant child labor in Thailand Hoang Kim Khuyen, Nguyen Thu Dung – Institute of State and Law (ISL), Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences (Vietnam)Poverty and Child Labour in Vietnam 15 ™ discussion
16:00-17:00	Panel 3: Child Labour in different sectors (10  minutes/speaker)Panel Chair:  Hadi Punama- Convenor, SEAHRN, Chair of Human rights Center of University of Indonesia Abrori Charliene, S.H. Dea Pratiwi, S.H., Nadya Noor Azalia  (Indonesia)Implementation of corporate social responsibility initiatives on the elimination of child labor in tobacco industry in Indonesia, The Philippines, and Cambodia. Dr. Le Thi Nga “Hue University of Law (Vietnam)Identifying child labour in agriculture: Research in coffee-growing household in DakLak province, Vietnam Andika Ab.Wahab – Institute of Malaysian & International Studiesm  (Malaysia) Modelling A Time Use Survey to Measure Incidence of Child Labour: A Case Study of Palm Oil Smallholders in East Coast of Sabah Dr. Ngo Huong “ School of Law, Vietnam National University Hanoi (Vietnam)Tourism and child labor in Vietnam: Between the law and practice 20 ™ discussion

Day 2	4 June 2021 (Friday)
13:00-14:00	Introduction and Zoom Instruction: Ngo Huong  Chair: Joel Mark Barredo – Program Director of SHAPE-SEA  Keynote Panel on The Role of Academia and Researchers in Tackling Child Labour Dr. Mark Capaldi “ Lecturer, Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies,  Mahidol University Dr. Sriprapha Petcharamesree -Senior Lecturer- Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies,  Mahidol University Dr. Ngo Minh Huong “ Lecturer, VNU School of Law 20 ˜ Discussion
14:00-15:15	Panel 4: Impact of Covid-19 and Child Labor (10 minutes/speaker)Panel Chair:   Joel Mark Barredo – Program Director of SHAPE-SEA Desi Yunitaasari and Devi Yúsvitasari “ Ganesha   University of Education in Bali (Indonesia)Pandemic and the prevalence of Children ™s Rights Violation: Challenges on Compating Increased Exploitation of Children During the Covid “ 19 Outbreak in Indonesia Dr. Nguyen Thanh Huyen- School of Law, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (Vietnam)Impact of economic downturn on child labour: the case of Vietnam Dr. Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, Viet Nam Women ™s Academy MA. Tran Thi Thanh Huyen, University of Languages and International Studies (ULIS); MA. Dinh Thi Nguyet “ Nation Academy of Public Administration (Vietnam)  The effect of covid-19 on child labor in construction sector Đỗ Thị Quỳnh Trang, Nguyá»…n Thị Lan Anh “ University of Law, Hue University (Vietnam)Preventing and eliminating child labor in Vietnam ™s businesses in the context of covid 19 epidemic Assoc.Prof./Ph.D Nguyen Hien Phuong and student group- Hanoi Law University (Vietnam)Impacts of the covid -19 epidemic on child labour in Vietnam and some recommendations to improve the child labour legislation 25 ˜ Discussion

15:15-15:30  Tea Break

15:30-16:45

Panel 5: Law, Policies, and Norms on Child Labor (5 minutes/speaker)Panel Chair: Dr. La Khanh Tung “ Lecturer, VNU-School of Law Ngo Huu Phuoc, Cuc Thi Kim Nguyen “ Ho Chi Minh City University of Law (Vietnam)Vietnam in International Integration: Elimination of child labor in new-generation free trade agreements Asso. Prof. Dr. Vu Cong Giao , Nguyen Anh Duc – School of Law, Vietnam National University Hanoi (Vietnam)Eliminating child labour in Vietnam: how to put the law into practice ? Jennifer Manalo Cueto- State University, Lemery (Philippines)The Current Selected Initiatives of the Philippines on the Key Policies Related to Child Labor Dr. Dang Viet Dat “ Academy of Politics Region 4, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, Vietnam (Vietnam)Prevention and elimination of child labour in Vietnam: efforts and challenges Dr. Vu Thi Thu Quyen- Academy of Journalism and Communication; Assoc Prof. Dr. Vu Cong Giao “ School of Law, Vietnam National University of Hanoi (Vietnam)Eliminating child labour:  A Vietnamese perspective  25 ˜ Discussion

16:45-17:00

Closing Remarks by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vu Cong Giao “ Head of Constitutional Law and Administrative Law Dept., School of Law, Vietnam National University, HanoiJoel Mark Barredo – Program Director of SHAPE-SEA

The conference seeks to promote the role and participation of scholars and research agencies in the prevention of child labor in ASEAN/SEA