Uniting forces against child labour: Regional action in Ordu

ILO Senior Project Coordinator Ayşegül Özbek Kansu, during her opening speech.

ORDU (ILO News) - As part of the Elimination of Child Labour Programme, conducted in coordination with the International Labour Organization (ILO) Office for Türkiye and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS), regional planning and coordination meetings was held in Ordu under two major projects: An Integrated Model for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Türkiye and the Project for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour in Seasonal Agriculture in Hazelnut Harvesting in Türkiye. The meeting aimed to strengthen sustainability, cooperation, and coordination in combating child labour.

The Eastern Black Sea Regional Meeting was held on December 13, 2024, in Ordu, with the participation of representatives from the governorates of Ordu, Giresun, Samsun, and Trabzon, as well as from the district governorates and directorates of Altınordu, Ünye, Fatsa, Ulubey, Perşembe, Piraziz, Bulancak, Çarşamba, Terme, Salıpazarı, Tekkeköy, and Arsin.

Labour Expert Mustafa Bozkurt, delivering his presentation.

The opening speeches of the meeting were realized by Ayşegül Özbek Kansu, Senior Project Coordinator at the ILO Office for Türkiye, Mustafa Bozkurt, Labour Expert from MoLSS and Burak Keser, Deputy Governor of Ordu. In the opening speeches, the contribution of long-term ILO projects and inter-institutional cooperation, which started in Ordu and spread to other hazelnut producing provinces in the Eastern Black Sea region, and the importance of national practices and regulations and social dialogue in combating child labour were emphasized. Labour Expert Mustafa Bozkurt shared his presentation on the national fight against child labour after stating the activities of the MoLSS on child labour, which are developing legislation, projects and strategies, as well as ensuring coordination among relevant institutions. In the presentation, national legal regulations, policy documents, projects and important developments regarding the prevention of child labour in Türkiye were presented throughout history. Ayşegül Özbek Kansu and Mehmet Koray Abacı after explaining the aims, objectives and contents of the projects carried out, conveyed the information on the achievements and gains within the scope of the project components in the past period and the details of the activities planned for the coming years.

ILO Senior Project Coordinator Koray Abacı, delivering his presentation.

During the meeting, participants from Ordu and other provinces made valuable contributions on the subject. İsa Kaymak, Provincial Director of Ordu Labour and Employment Agency, stated that the biggest reason for the success of the projects in Ordu is the ownership and effective participation of the Governorship of Ordu and all relevant institutions. He stated that the project activities mobilised by ILO have been widely implemented with the support of state institutions and have become a model. Prof. Dr Sebiha Kablay from Ordu University stated that the availability of accountable statistical data in the fight against child labour will increase the success of the projects. The participants from the Provincial Directorates of Family and Social Services of Giresun, Samsun and Trabzon contributed that the emphasis on education in the project is very important, but the adoption of a child protection approach would provide a more holistic social intervention modality for vulnerable groups. Labour Expert Mustafa Bozkurt emphasised that the newly published Presidential Circular on Seasonal Agricultural Workers will bring solutions to ongoing problems when implemented effectively and thanked all participants for their interest and understanding of the subject.

Participants dive into the project materials.

As a result, all parties efficiently shared their experiences, comments and suggestions on the identification, prevention and intervention processes of child labour and agreed on the necessity of closer cooperation between public institutions in order to maintain a smooth operation carried out in the field.

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