The establishment of a sustainable protection system that guarantees children’s access to economic and social rights, progressively extending social coverage and ensuring minimum income for children is a priority, said Minister of Social Affaires Malek Ezzahi on Tuesday.
Establishing this system is crucial, considering the absence of a comprehensive mechanism in Tunisia capable of saving children from poverty, the department quoted the minister in a statement.
Ezzahi was speaking at the opening of a conference on the results of a study on «the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child labour in Tunisia,» organised by the Ministry’s Centre for Research and Social Studies, with the support of the International Labour Organisation.
The minister highlighted the strategic importance of investing in young people and reducing poverty and the economic exploitation of children.
The health crisis resulting from the spread of the coronavirus has created many problems and difficulties that weaken social and professional groups, he added: «hence the need to accelerate the implementation of a number of reforms and amendments to the social coverage system in Tunisia, in order to back its capacity to sustainably support vulnerable groups.»
Representative of the International Labour Organisation BOUA-BI SIEMEINS, for his part, stressed the organisation’s willingness to continue supporting Tunisia in the fight against child labour.
This conference is part of Tunisia’s participation in observing the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour in 2021.
The study presented during the conference aims to enhance the legislative and institutional frameworks, improve the knowledge base on this phenomenon, as well as to strengthen the protection and prevention mechanisms in this area, in addition to consolidating education, vocational training and the fight against child labour.
