TimesLive reports that a global conference to help find ways to eliminate child labour will be held in Durban from 15 to 20 May at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.

This will be the first time the global conference on the elimination of child labour will be held in Africa. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), more than 160-million children are labourers. More than a third of them are out of school. Agriculture is said to account for the largest share of child labour worldwide. “The time is opportune for the global community to converge on African soil to find solutions that will help our continent, in particular, to deal with the reported highest prevalence and largest number of working children,” employment & labour minister Thulas Nxesi said. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to open the conference. More than 4,000 delegates, half of whom will attend in person, are expected to discuss good practice, identify gaps and the urgent measures needed to help child labourers. The ILO describes the term “child labour” as work that deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children and interferes with their schooling.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard at BusinessLive

Get other news reports at the SA Labour News home page