The second session of the distance learning course “Strengthening the capacities of Labour Inspections to eradicate child labour: strengthening partnerships between CPLP countries (Community of Portuguese Language Countries) through South-South Cooperation” took place on March 2, 2023. The objective of the course is to create and strengthen partnerships between the Labour Inspectorates of the CPLP member countries to improve their capacities to identify, prevent and remedy child labour cases, in particular the worst forms of child labour.
During this session, the panel entitled “Combatting Child Labour through South-South and Triangular Cooperation and labour inspection: building partnerships within the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)” was held, with the participation of Luisa Guimaraes, Manager of International Labour Standards, Rights in the Labour and Gender Equality of the ITCILO; Mafalda Troncho, Director of the ILO office in Portugal; Anita Amorim, Head of the ILO Special and Emerging Partnerships Unit; Manuel Lapão, Director of Cooperation of the CPLP; and Pedro Luiz Dalcero, Ambassador of Brazil in Sao Tome and Principe.
Luisa Guimarães highlighted the importance of the South-South cooperation approach within the framework of this course, considering that the experience of the participants in their own countries makes it possible to exchange good practices in the field of labour inspection in favour of combating child labour. In turn, Mafalda Troncho, explained that the South-South cooperation approach has been actively included in the areas in which the CPLP works in the fight against child labour, which was confirmed by Manuel Lapão.
Ambassador Pedro Luiz Dalcero pointed out Brazil’s long tradition of participation in the ILO framework and in South-South cooperation issues with Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa and mentioned several projects led by Brazil in cooperation with countries of the Global South. He specifically highlighted the case of Sao Tome and Principe whose officials and authorities of the Ministry of Labour participated in the Third Global Conference on Child Labour held in Brasilia. He also explained that the good results achieved so far in these projects are since Brazil has implemented a series of public policies that have been very effective and can be adapted to other realities. Moreover, he stressed that the fact that Brazil is a developing country makes it easier for its civil servants to understand the problems of other developing countries. This makes it possible to have a common language between Brazil and the countries with which it cooperates within the framework of South-South cooperation.
Anita Amorim outlined the long history of collaboration between the ILO and the CPLP, which dates back to 2004 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations and pointed out that the CPLP cooperation framework is a type of “triangular cooperation” as Portugal is one of the actors involved. The ILO assumes a facilitating and catalysing role in this type of cooperation.
During the session, the participants were involved in an enriching discussion in which they were able to share good practices implemented in their countries in the field of labour inspection in the fight against child labour.
To access the recording of the session, please click here.
For more information about the content of the course and the compilation of the good practices presented by the participants, please click here.