Concept note on Pledges

Introduction

The main objective of the IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child

Labour is to accelerate the pace towards the elimination of child labour, in line with the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Within the framework of the SDG, the IV Global Conference will address different topics

related to child labour, forced labour and youth employment with the aim of identifying

different scenarios and conditions leading, in addition to the elimination of child labour

by 2025, to the elimination of forced labour by 2030 in line with target 8.7; and within

this context to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for young

people, in line with SDG Targets 8.5 and 8.6. The final outcome of the IV Global

Conference will be a declaration (“the Buenos Aires Declaration”) to be adopted by the

Conference.

During the IV Global Conference, the participants will be invited to make public

voluntary pledges to carryout concrete actions, in line with the Buenos Aires

Declaration. Pledges are a flexible tool that will help focus the IV Global Conference

outcomes on specific actions, within their respective areas of responsibility, for instance,

for Governments, to ratify relevant international instruments within a given timeframe,

launch initiatives at national, sub-regional or regional level (see examples at the end of

this document).

Pledges – what is at stake?

Pledges, i.e. a solemn promise or undertaking, have become increasingly popular and

have been used in a wide range of conference settings1. Pledges are widely perceived

as positive additional outcomes of international conferences and as a way to turn good

will into specific commitments through concrete actions.

1. For example, the following International Conferences have used a pledge mechanism:

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Conferences (introduced for the first time pledges in

2003); within the context of the negotiations leading to the “Framework Convention on Climate

Change”, countries first signed on to the notion of pledges (intended nationally determined

contribution -INDCs) at the UN’s 2013 climate negotiations in Warsaw (COP19), similar efforts in

this direction have continued in 2014 in Lima (COP20) and in 2015 in Paris (COP21); the Gavi (the

Vaccine Alliance) pledging conference hosted by Germany on 26-27 January 2015; the Third

International Humanitarian Pledging Conference for Syria, hosted by the State of Kuwait on 31

March 2015; the Anti-Corruption Summit: London 2016, 12 May 2016, hosted by the government of

the United Kingdom; the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS,

Tuberculosis and Malaria, hosted by Canada on 16-17 September 2016, among other.

GUIDELINES FOR PLEDGES

1. Introduction

Participants in the IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour

are invited to undertake specific commitments, acting independently or jointly with

regard to achieving SDG Target 8.7, in particular for the period 2017-2021, in the form of

pledges. Joint pledges, undertaken as a means of building partnerships are also

possible and welcome.

2. Who can make a pledge

The following participants to the IV Global Conference can make a pledge:

■ A member country.

■ A group of member countries and supranational entities.

■ Social partners at national and international level. Tripartite (government and social

partners) and bipartite (social partners) pledges would be encouraged.

■ International organizations and sub-regional and regional organizations, within the

framework of their respective mandates.

■ In addition, business and civil society organizations can also formulate pledges.

3. Content

All pledges should:

■ Be in line with the objectives of the IV Global Conference and the Buenos Aires

Declaration;

■ Be action-oriented, measurable and time-bound (objectives to be reached in the

period 2017-2021);

■ Preferably promote partnerships between participants that involve joint action and

shared goals;

■ Be formulated in one of the IV Global Conference working

languages: English, French or Spanish;

■ Be short, concise and specific (maximum 10 lines);

■ A Tripartite Screening Committee will be set up, under the auspices of the ILO, to

guarantee that pledges are in line with the IV Global Conference objectives and the

Buenos Aires Declaration.

4. Submission

■ Before the IV Global Conference, participants willing to pre-assess the compatibility

of their intended pledges, with the Conference objectives might, at their earliest

convenience, submit them to the ILO for feedback to Ms. Svenja Fohgrub, e-mail:

fohgrub@iloguest.org (copying PLEDGES@trabajo.gob.ar) /

Phone : +41 22 799 7695.

■ A pledge stand will be open at the IV Global Conference venue, on Tuesday 14th and

Wednesday 15th November - throughout the working hours of the Conference.

■ During the IV Global Conference, participants are encouraged to submit their final

pledges before the end of the first day (14th of November), in English, French or

Spanish, using the enclosed "Pledge registration form" (Annex 1), so to allow the

Tripartite Screening Committee to review them, provide feedback and, if necessary,

to allow those promoting the pledges for enough time to amend and finalize them.

■ All pledges received may be amended and finalized by those making them at the

pledge stand, at the latest, until 6.00 p.m. on Wednesday 15th of November.

5. Publication

Those making pledges, which pass the tripartite screening committee assessment will

have the possibility of publically announce their pledge during a plenary session

provided to that end before the closing of the IV Global Conference on 16th November

2017. These pledges will then be registered.

All registered pledges will be posted on the IV Global Conference website at:

http://www.childlabour2017.org

6. After the IV Global Conference

■ Registered pledges will be considered an integral part of the IV Global Conference.

A publication will compile them and invite those making them to report on their

implementation at the V Global Conference, in 2021.

■ Summary information on these pledges will be provided in the IV Global

Conference Report.

■ Pledge makers will be invited to designate a point of contact regarding

their pledges.

CONTACTS

For questions on the preparation or on the content of your pledge, please contact the

Argentinian authorities and/or the ILO at:

PLEDGES@trabajo.gob.ar

Phone: + 54 11 5555-1457

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Ms. Svenja Fohgrub

International Labour Office

Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Branch

fohgrub@iloguest.org

Phone: +41 22 799 7695

Geneva (Switzerland)

1

Introduction

The main objective of the IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child

Labour is to accelerate the pace towards the elimination of child labour, in line with the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Within the framework of the SDG, the IV Global Conference will address different topics

related to child labour, forced labour and youth employment with the aim of identifying

different scenarios and conditions leading, in addition to the elimination of child labour

by 2025, to the elimination of forced labour by 2030 in line with target 8.7; and within

this context to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for young

people, in line with SDG Targets 8.5 and 8.6. The final outcome of the IV Global

Conference will be a declaration (“the Buenos Aires Declaration”) to be adopted by the

Conference.

During the IV Global Conference, the participants will be invited to make public

voluntary pledges to carryout concrete actions, in line with the Buenos Aires

Declaration. Pledges are a flexible tool that will help focus the IV Global Conference

outcomes on specific actions, within their respective areas of responsibility, for instance,

for Governments, to ratify relevant international instruments within a given timeframe,

launch initiatives at national, sub-regional or regional level (see examples at the end of

this document).

Pledges – what is at stake?

Pledges, i.e. a solemn promise or undertaking, have become increasingly popular and

have been used in a wide range of conference settings1. Pledges are widely perceived

as positive additional outcomes of international conferences and as a way to turn good

will into specific commitments through concrete actions.

Concept note on Pledges

GUIDELINES FOR PLEDGES

1. Introduction

Participants in the IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour

are invited to undertake specific commitments, acting independently or jointly with

regard to achieving SDG Target 8.7, in particular for the period 2017-2021, in the form of

pledges. Joint pledges, undertaken as a means of building partnerships are also

possible and welcome.

2. Who can make a pledge

The following participants to the IV Global Conference can make a pledge:

■ A member country.

■ A group of member countries and supranational entities.

■ Social partners at national and international level. Tripartite (government and social

partners) and bipartite (social partners) pledges would be encouraged.

■ International organizations and sub-regional and regional organizations, within the

framework of their respective mandates.

■ In addition, business and civil society organizations can also formulate pledges.

3. Content

All pledges should:

■ Be in line with the objectives of the IV Global Conference and the Buenos Aires

Declaration;

■ Be action-oriented, measurable and time-bound (objectives to be reached in the

period 2017-2021);

■ Preferably promote partnerships between participants that involve joint action and

shared goals;

■ Be formulated in one of the IV Global Conference working

languages: English, French or Spanish;

■ Be short, concise and specific (maximum 10 lines);

■ A Tripartite Screening Committee will be set up, under the auspices of the ILO, to

guarantee that pledges are in line with the IV Global Conference objectives and the

Buenos Aires Declaration.

4. Submission

■ Before the IV Global Conference, participants willing to pre-assess the compatibility

of their intended pledges, with the Conference objectives might, at their earliest

convenience, submit them to the ILO for feedback to Ms. Svenja Fohgrub, e-mail:

fohgrub@iloguest.org (copying PLEDGES@trabajo.gob.ar) /

Phone : +41 22 799 7695.

■ A pledge stand will be open at the IV Global Conference venue, on Tuesday 14th and

Wednesday 15th November - throughout the working hours of the Conference.

■ During the IV Global Conference, participants are encouraged to submit their final

pledges before the end of the first day (14th of November), in English, French or

Spanish, using the enclosed "Pledge registration form" (Annex 1), so to allow the

Tripartite Screening Committee to review them, provide feedback and, if necessary,

to allow those promoting the pledges for enough time to amend and finalize them.

■ All pledges received may be amended and finalized by those making them at the

pledge stand, at the latest, until 6.00 p.m. on Wednesday 15th of November.

5. Publication

Those making pledges, which pass the tripartite screening committee assessment will

have the possibility of publically announce their pledge during a plenary session

provided to that end before the closing of the IV Global Conference on 16th November

2017. These pledges will then be registered.

All registered pledges will be posted on the IV Global Conference website at:

http://www.childlabour2017.org

6. After the IV Global Conference

■ Registered pledges will be considered an integral part of the IV Global Conference.

A publication will compile them and invite those making them to report on their

implementation at the V Global Conference, in 2021.

■ Summary information on these pledges will be provided in the IV Global

Conference Report.

■ Pledge makers will be invited to designate a point of contact regarding

their pledges.

CONTACTS

For questions on the preparation or on the content of your pledge, please contact the

Argentinian authorities and/or the ILO at:

PLEDGES@trabajo.gob.ar

Phone: + 54 11 5555-1457

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Ms. Svenja Fohgrub

International Labour Office

Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Branch

fohgrub@iloguest.org

Phone: +41 22 799 7695

Geneva (Switzerland)

2

Introduction

The main objective of the IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child

Labour is to accelerate the pace towards the elimination of child labour, in line with the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Within the framework of the SDG, the IV Global Conference will address different topics

related to child labour, forced labour and youth employment with the aim of identifying

different scenarios and conditions leading, in addition to the elimination of child labour

by 2025, to the elimination of forced labour by 2030 in line with target 8.7; and within

this context to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for young

people, in line with SDG Targets 8.5 and 8.6. The final outcome of the IV Global

Conference will be a declaration (“the Buenos Aires Declaration”) to be adopted by the

Conference.

During the IV Global Conference, the participants will be invited to make public

voluntary pledges to carryout concrete actions, in line with the Buenos Aires

Declaration. Pledges are a flexible tool that will help focus the IV Global Conference

outcomes on specific actions, within their respective areas of responsibility, for instance,

for Governments, to ratify relevant international instruments within a given timeframe,

launch initiatives at national, sub-regional or regional level (see examples at the end of

this document).

Pledges – what is at stake?

Pledges, i.e. a solemn promise or undertaking, have become increasingly popular and

have been used in a wide range of conference settings1. Pledges are widely perceived

as positive additional outcomes of international conferences and as a way to turn good

will into specific commitments through concrete actions.

GUIDELINES FOR PLEDGES

1. Introduction

Participants in the IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour

are invited to undertake specific commitments, acting independently or jointly with

regard to achieving SDG Target 8.7, in particular for the period 2017-2021, in the form of

pledges. Joint pledges, undertaken as a means of building partnerships are also

possible and welcome.

2. Who can make a pledge

The following participants to the IV Global Conference can make a pledge:

■ A member country.

■ A group of member countries and supranational entities.

■ Social partners at national and international level. Tripartite (government and social

partners) and bipartite (social partners) pledges would be encouraged.

■ International organizations and sub-regional and regional organizations, within the

framework of their respective mandates.

■ In addition, business and civil society organizations can also formulate pledges.

3. Content

All pledges should:

■ Be in line with the objectives of the IV Global Conference and the Buenos Aires

Declaration;

■ Be action-oriented, measurable and time-bound (objectives to be reached in the

period 2017-2021);

■ Preferably promote partnerships between participants that involve joint action and

shared goals;

■ Be formulated in one of the IV Global Conference working

languages: English, French or Spanish;

■ Be short, concise and specific (maximum 10 lines);

■ A Tripartite Screening Committee will be set up, under the auspices of the ILO, to

guarantee that pledges are in line with the IV Global Conference objectives and the

Buenos Aires Declaration.

4. Submission

■ Before the IV Global Conference, participants willing to pre-assess the compatibility

of their intended pledges, with the Conference objectives might, at their earliest

convenience, submit them to the ILO for feedback to Ms. Svenja Fohgrub, e-mail:

fohgrub@iloguest.org (copying PLEDGES@trabajo.gob.ar) /

Phone : +41 22 799 7695.

■ A pledge stand will be open at the IV Global Conference venue, on Tuesday 14th and

Wednesday 15th November - throughout the working hours of the Conference.

■ During the IV Global Conference, participants are encouraged to submit their final

pledges before the end of the first day (14th of November), in English, French or

Spanish, using the enclosed "Pledge registration form" (Annex 1), so to allow the

Tripartite Screening Committee to review them, provide feedback and, if necessary,

to allow those promoting the pledges for enough time to amend and finalize them.

■ All pledges received may be amended and finalized by those making them at the

pledge stand, at the latest, until 6.00 p.m. on Wednesday 15th of November.

5. Publication

Those making pledges, which pass the tripartite screening committee assessment will

have the possibility of publically announce their pledge during a plenary session

provided to that end before the closing of the IV Global Conference on 16th November

2017. These pledges will then be registered.

All registered pledges will be posted on the IV Global Conference website at:

http://www.childlabour2017.org

6. After the IV Global Conference

■ Registered pledges will be considered an integral part of the IV Global Conference.

A publication will compile them and invite those making them to report on their

implementation at the V Global Conference, in 2021.

■ Summary information on these pledges will be provided in the IV Global

Conference Report.

■ Pledge makers will be invited to designate a point of contact regarding

their pledges.

CONTACTS

For questions on the preparation or on the content of your pledge, please contact the

Argentinian authorities and/or the ILO at:

PLEDGES@trabajo.gob.ar

Phone: + 54 11 5555-1457

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Ms. Svenja Fohgrub

International Labour Office

Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Branch

fohgrub@iloguest.org

Phone: +41 22 799 7695

Geneva (Switzerland)

Concept note on Pledges

3

Introduction

The main objective of the IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child

Labour is to accelerate the pace towards the elimination of child labour, in line with the

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

Within the framework of the SDG, the IV Global Conference will address different topics

related to child labour, forced labour and youth employment with the aim of identifying

different scenarios and conditions leading, in addition to the elimination of child labour

by 2025, to the elimination of forced labour by 2030 in line with target 8.7; and within

this context to achieve full and productive employment and decent work for young

people, in line with SDG Targets 8.5 and 8.6. The final outcome of the IV Global

Conference will be a declaration (“the Buenos Aires Declaration”) to be adopted by the

Conference.

During the IV Global Conference, the participants will be invited to make public

voluntary pledges to carryout concrete actions, in line with the Buenos Aires

Declaration. Pledges are a flexible tool that will help focus the IV Global Conference

outcomes on specific actions, within their respective areas of responsibility, for instance,

for Governments, to ratify relevant international instruments within a given timeframe,

launch initiatives at national, sub-regional or regional level (see examples at the end of

this document).

Pledges – what is at stake?

Pledges, i.e. a solemn promise or undertaking, have become increasingly popular and

have been used in a wide range of conference settings1. Pledges are widely perceived

as positive additional outcomes of international conferences and as a way to turn good

will into specific commitments through concrete actions.

GUIDELINES FOR PLEDGES

1. Introduction

Participants in the IV Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour

are invited to undertake specific commitments, acting independently or jointly with

regard to achieving SDG Target 8.7, in particular for the period 2017-2021, in the form of

pledges. Joint pledges, undertaken as a means of building partnerships are also

possible and welcome.

2. Who can make a pledge

The following participants to the IV Global Conference can make a pledge:

■ A member country.

■ A group of member countries and supranational entities.

■ Social partners at national and international level. Tripartite (government and social

partners) and bipartite (social partners) pledges would be encouraged.

■ International organizations and sub-regional and regional organizations, within the

framework of their respective mandates.

■ In addition, business and civil society organizations can also formulate pledges.

3. Content

All pledges should:

■ Be in line with the objectives of the IV Global Conference and the Buenos Aires

Declaration;

■ Be action-oriented, measurable and time-bound (objectives to be reached in the

period 2017-2021);

■ Preferably promote partnerships between participants that involve joint action and

shared goals;

■ Be formulated in one of the IV Global Conference working

languages: English, French or Spanish;

■ Be short, concise and specific (maximum 10 lines);

■ A Tripartite Screening Committee will be set up, under the auspices of the ILO, to

guarantee that pledges are in line with the IV Global Conference objectives and the

Buenos Aires Declaration.

4. Submission

■ Before the IV Global Conference, participants willing to pre-assess the compatibility

of their intended pledges, with the Conference objectives might, at their earliest

convenience, submit them to the ILO for feedback to Ms. Svenja Fohgrub, e-mail:

fohgrub@iloguest.org (copying PLEDGES@trabajo.gob.ar) /

Phone : +41 22 799 7695.

■ A pledge stand will be open at the IV Global Conference venue, on Tuesday 14th and

Wednesday 15th November - throughout the working hours of the Conference.

■ During the IV Global Conference, participants are encouraged to submit their final

pledges before the end of the first day (14th of November), in English, French or

Spanish, using the enclosed "Pledge registration form" (Annex 1), so to allow the

Tripartite Screening Committee to review them, provide feedback and, if necessary,

to allow those promoting the pledges for enough time to amend and finalize them.

■ All pledges received may be amended and finalized by those making them at the

pledge stand, at the latest, until 6.00 p.m. on Wednesday 15th of November.

5. Publication

Those making pledges, which pass the tripartite screening committee assessment will

have the possibility of publically announce their pledge during a plenary session

provided to that end before the closing of the IV Global Conference on 16th November

2017. These pledges will then be registered.

All registered pledges will be posted on the IV Global Conference website at:

http://www.childlabour2017.org

6. After the IV Global Conference

■ Registered pledges will be considered an integral part of the IV Global Conference.

A publication will compile them and invite those making them to report on their

implementation at the V Global Conference, in 2021.

■ Summary information on these pledges will be provided in the IV Global

Conference Report.

■ Pledge makers will be invited to designate a point of contact regarding

their pledges.

CONTACTS

For questions on the preparation or on the content of your pledge, please contact the

Argentinian authorities and/or the ILO at:

PLEDGES@trabajo.gob.ar

Phone: + 54 11 5555-1457

Buenos Aires (Argentina)

Ms. Svenja Fohgrub

International Labour Office

Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work Branch

fohgrub@iloguest.org

Phone: +41 22 799 7695

Geneva (Switzerland)

4

Concept note on Pledges

ANNEX 1

PLEDGE FORM

For the years 2017-2021, we hereby pledge (max. 10 lines):

PLEDGE MAKER:

Full name:

Organization:

Place: Date:

Signature:

Contact point

4

ANNEX 2 |

These examples are illustrative.

Governments commit to ratification of relevant international labour standards: C.29, P29, C.105, C.138, C.182 as well as other pertinent International Labour Standards (ILS), including of course, Fundamental and priority ILS.

Government to take action on drafting or amending legislation in consultation with social partners and in line with relevant international labour standards.

Governments commit towards taking action to address the implementation of gaps identified by ILO supervisory bodies with regard to ratified international labour standards, such as:

• the adoption or updating of national child labour / forced labour policy,• prohibition of hazardous work and/or determination of hazardous work through adoption or updating of the hazardous child labour list,• adoption of relevant plans of action on child labour / forced labour, • legislative prohibition of: trafficking, child soldiers, forced labour and bondage, slavery; pornography of children, prostitution of children, the use of children for illicit activities (worst forms of child labour),• adoption of measures to ensure free universal basic education,• adoption or amendment of legislation on minimum age,• definition and regulation of light work…

Adoption of a multi-pronged strategy or action plan for youth employment with a budget of $XXX for the period 2018-2021.

Adoption and implementation of school-to-work transition programme allowing disadvantaged young people to access education, skills and quality jobs from 2019 onwards.

Financially support development assistance: knowledge base enhancement (research, data and statistical studies), development of pilot intervention models, etc.

Government and social partners (in a conflict or disaster-prone state) to include productive and decent work in their conflict prevention, disaster risk reduction and recovery measures.

Commitment of Government and social partners to take action on national social protection policy, including the development or revision of existing social protection policies and programmes to include and / or better protect child labour and forced labour victims and their families.

Government, through national institutions, to take action to improve statistical databases and monitoring mechanisms to better track child labour and / or forced labour, including human trafficking.

Government and social partners to undertake or continue to undertake, as relevant, evidence-based research on child labour and / or forced labour with a view to inform policy and practice.

Commitment of Governments, social partners, businesses, civil society organizations to promote awareness-raising initiatives addressing child labour and / or forced labour in particular sectors during the period 2018-2021.Commitment of Government and social partners to take action to mainstream child labour and / or forced labour concerns into relevant migration policies and legislation and into the work of relevant labour market institutions to support fair labour migration frameworks and to provide decent work for migrant workers.

Examples of pledges

5