Workshop
Supporting Dialogue on Children and Work

Florence, Italy, Feb. 19-21 2018

This workshop sought to transcend polemic debates by bringing together a select group of key actors within the field of child labour from around the world in order to explore common ground and establish a future research agenda. To this end, it was guided by specialists in Convergent Facilitation, which is a process that supports people to build trust and mutual understanding by identifying the underlying shared goals hidden within their seemingly irreconcilable positions. This report documents the results of that process, including the key strands of research and advocacy to emerge from it. It outlines the common principles that participants agreed were important and the set of policy-relevant research questions that they wish to see guide future work in the field1. The workshop was organised by the Children and Work Network and received generous funding from the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and the Jacobs Foundation. The UNICEF Office of Research kindly agreed to host it.

 
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Draft Common Principles

“In our approach to research, policy, and practice regarding children and work, we are committed to:

  1. Building on the existing human rights framework;

  2. Taking into account and responding to the importance of context in formulating approaches and goals;

  3. Taking into account and responding to the importance of gender in formulating approaches and goals;

  4. Engaging children and integrating their views and voices in decisions that affect their lives;

  5. Finding effective means to promote children’s rights, development and wellbeing;

  6. Protecting children from harm;

  7. Respecting the dignity of children;

  8. Increasing the effectiveness of interventions to contribute to children’s rights, wellbeing and development;

  9. Creating and strengthening structures of support for children including social protection;

  10. Finding effective means to support governments in protecting children in relation to work;

  11. Engaging with all stakeholders in addressing issues relating to children and work;

  12. Promoting and protecting decent work for all;

  13. Acknowledging the importance of researching children’s work for policy and program design.

  14. Generating and using the best data in multiple forms to improve children’s lives;

  15. Enabling children to acquire experiences and skills that prepare them for meaningful contribution to society;

  16. Promoting full access to quality and relevant education”.