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Oct. 28, 2020

LINEO MABEKEBEKE

2 min read

Govt strives to eliminate forced labour

Govt strives to eliminate forced labour

PS in the Ministry of Labour and Employment Emmanuel Lesoma

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THE Government is pulling all efforts together to help prohibit and eradicate of some the world’s modern day forms of slavery including child labour and trafficking in persons for purposes of forced labour as well as domestic servitude.

The Principal Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment Emanuel Lesoma has shown that the ministry will soon be in a better position to develop the second phase of National Action Plan on the elimination of child labour, thereby addressing all concerns from different international bodies on Trafficking in Persons (TIP) and worst forms of child labour.

This, Mr Lesoma mentioned during a training session that was organised by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to among others equip labour inspectors with knowledge on basic concepts of TIP.

The workshop which was held in Maseru on Tuesday was also aimed at identifying and referring victims of human trafficking.

The participants were also equipped with tools and guidelines which will enhance the regulation of recruitment agencies and individuals who might be potential traffickers.

The knowledge gained from the workshop according to the PS will enhance the ministry’s ability to foster fair and decent labour recruitment and in turn curb human trafficking.

To mark the landscape on the efforts of the ministry on this matter, the Government has ratified the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention No.182, ILO Convention No.105 on Abolition of Forced Labour as well the Protocol to Forced Labour Convention No.29 both of which are aimed at prohibition and elimination of worst forms of child labour and trafficking in persons for purposes of forced labour and domestic servitude,” he noted.

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The workshop came at an opportune time when the Ministry of Labour and Employment is finalising the labour law review exercise and has been able to gather the financial support of the Ministry of Finance to conduct a rapid assessment on the worst forms of child labour.

For her part, Eriko Nishimura from the IOM head office in Lesotho said in order to archive their goal, there are two objectives - which are to strengthen the TIP response including the identification, protection and referral if vulnerable women, children and potential labour migrants are aware of TIP, means of self-protection and reporting mechanisms, and engaged in safe migration practices.

With the overall objective to combat trafficking in persons in Lesotho, the US Government is providing financial support to the project titled supporting Lesotho in trafficking in persons prevention and protection.  

 

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