The role of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood in reducing the phenomenon of child labor

Introduction:

The National Council for Childhood and Motherhood (NCCM) was established in 1988 by Presidential Decree No. 54 of 1988, and was amended by Presidential Decree No. 273 of 1989. The council has been entrusted, among other things, with the responsibility of formulating policies, planning, coordinating, monitoring and evaluating activities related to the protection and development of children and mothers in Egypt, in collaboration with various non-governmental organizations.

The NCCM’s primary mission is to protect and promote the rights of all Egyptian children, and to ensure their upbringing in a safe environment that helps to develop their physical, mental, spiritual, moral, and social capacities. The council is granted these powers based on the Egyptian Constitution and the Child Act No. 12 of 1996, amended by Act No. 126 of 2008.

In March 2011, the NCCM began to operate under the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP), in clear violation of the Egyptian Constitution and the Paris Principles of 1993 on the establishment of independent national human rights mechanisms, for monitoring and following-up.

Combating child labor was a priority for NCCM before Egypt's January 2011 Revolution. However, after affiliation with the Ministry of Health and Population, the activities of the NCCM have undergone a significant transformation; it has overlooked serious issues like combating child labor, particularly the involvement of children in the worst forms of work, and all the focus of the council became on specific issues like the prohibition of underage marriage and combating female circumcision and family violence. Despite the gravity of these issues, they should not substitute the work on fighting the worst forms of child labor in line with the National Action Plan for Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labor in Egypt and Supporting Family (2018 – 2025), the SDG Goal No. 8.7, the International Labor Organization (ILO) Conventions, and relevant international and regional conventions and covenants signed by the Egyptian government.

Therefore, , Maat for Peace, Development, and Human Rightsdecided to issue a special report evaluating the role of the NCCM in combating child labor phenomenon, by focusing on the competencies of the council according to the resolution of its establishment and its position in the Constitution and the law, in addition to the other resolutions and amendments that have been introduced to it since 1988 until today. The study also discusses the efforts made by the NCCM in this context, the obstacles facing its work, particularly in the last period, as well as its cooperation with the international organizations and donor community. Finally, the study touches upon the extent of the council’s contribution to achieving the national plan to eliminate the worst forms of child labor and supporting family (2018-2030).

 

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