The Minister of Commerce Industry and Labour (M.C.I.L.) is optimistic that by 2025, Samoa will have achieved great progress in the eradication of any forms of child labour.

The Minister, Leatinuu Wayne Fong highlighted this during a child labour forum held on Thursday at the Sheraton Samoa Aggie Grey's Hotel & Bungalows.

The forum was spearheaded by the International Labour Organisation (I.L.O.) and Ministry of Commerce Industry & Labour (M.C.I.L.).

In the Pacific, I.L.O. coordinated child labour research (Rapid Assessments), and found child labour, including the worst forms of child labour, in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea and Samoa.

The exploitation of children was mainly driven by poverty and the lack of educational and employment opportunities, family breakdown, the lack of protective legislation, lack of appropriate services and poor law enforcement.

According to the I.L.O. National Coordinator Tomasi Peni, in Samoa children found to be engaged in child labour through street vending.

Leatinuu said that as highlighted in the national policy of child care and protection, the safety, welfare and best interests of the child is paramount.

“This is essential to our responsibility to ensure the protection of our children in all situations whether at home, in school or in the workplace,” he said. 

“As a community we know that the issue of child street vendors is of much concern as it poses risks to our children’s safety, health and moral development.

“It presents challenges and many fronts to the endangerment of children in a high risk environment, interference with the child’s full participation in education and this is a symptom of economically vulnerable families.

He added that we must approach this issue collaboratively between not only ministries but also our private sector partners and civil society leaders given the various mandates involved.

During the first panel discussion on the legislation content, the Assistant Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Women Community and Social Development, Olive Kaio said that due to slow process, the Child Care and Protection Bill has yet to be passed in parliament. 

However, the Minister of M.C.I.L. said that from 2016 to 2021 over a hundred laws have been changed and more than 50 per cent of these were done hurriedly or under the certificate of urgency.

Leatinuu explained that it all comes down to priorities for the [previous] Government which then led to him suggesting that if the Child Care Bill is ready and has been fully prepared then it may have an opportunity to be presented during the December parliament session. 

“[It is our goal that] by 2025 Samoa aims to eliminate any forms of child labour we can achieve it because we are a small country compared to other big countries,” said Leatinuu. 

A notable comment from the recent Child labour Report is that Asia and the Pacific, child labour continued to fall, in percentage and absolute terms.

It must be noted that child labour trends in Pacific Island Countries are not really reflected in the global estimates due to a lack of national level data. However, in 2017, I.L.O. conducted a Rapid Assessment Survey and was able to capture 106 total number of street vendors in the Apia town area. 

The I.L.O. National Coordinator also said that some of the challenges faced include gaps in the legislations that need to be addressed include (education act and child care bill).

Following the presentations of the findings there has been heightened media attention on the child labour and calls for wider public consultations on the issues raised.