December 11 – 12: New Delhi: Convention on abolition of child labour

New Delhi: A national convention on the ”Right to Education and Abolition of Child Labour: Freedom and Dignity for All Children,’ would be organised here, on December 11 and 12 with a focus on a rights based framework, for total abolition of child labour and ensuring education as a fundamental right for all children.

The two-day convention, being organised by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), UNICEF and ILO would be attended by over 500 activists, Union Ministers, Members of Parliament, bureaucrats and about 80 children from across the country.

India has highest number of child labourers in the world and their number has increased from 11.3 million in 1991 to 12.6 million in 2001. Moreover, 75 million children were not counted as either going to school or work. These `nowhere children’ comprise mainly of girls engaged in work that does not even figure as child labour like fetching water, fuelwood and looking after siblings.