EL SALVADOR: 2005 CHILD LABOR UPDATE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN SALVADOR 002417 SIPDIS DOL/ILAB FOR TINA MCCARTER DRL/IL FOR LAUREN HOLT E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ELAB ES PHUM SOCI SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR: 2005 CHILD LABOR UPDATE REF: A. 2004 SAN SALVADOR 2399 ¶B. STATE 143552 ¶1. SUMMARY: This cable updates information on last year's child labor report, which otherwise remains valid. As a country eligible for trade benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA),El Salvador has implemented steps to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, including the comprehensive USDOL-funded ILO/IPEC Timebound Program. The 2003 ILO, UNICEF, and World Bank document "Understanding Child Labor in El Salvador" may still be considered a valid reference that outlines El Salvador's significant efforts to address the problem. The ILO continues to train judges, police officers, and prosecutors in recognizing and addressing the worst forms of child labor. INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR -------------- ¶2. According to Ada Lazo, MOL Liaison Officer for the Elimination of Child labor, the Ministry of Labor uses the same data base as that of the ILO/IPEC program. According to the ILO, from October 2003 to March 2005, 47,719 children have received medical, psychological, recreational, vocational, nutritional, and educational attention under ILO/IPEC programs; these activities have helped keep children out of labor activities. The ILO/IPEC, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, has also provided 4,028 parents with training in occupational skills, literacy, productivity, and medical attention, among other areas. ¶3. For the period of 1999 through August 2005, the ILO reported that 6,271 children have been withdrawn from child labor. A total of 3,032 have been withdrawn from sugarcane plantations, 1,295 from fishing activity, 1,156 from working in coffee plantations, 394 from producing fireworks, 200 from scavenging in garbage dumps, and 194 from urban market areas. ¶4. During the same 1999 to August 2005 period, the ILO reported that they, in cooperation with the Ministry of Labor, have prevented 14,134 at-risk children from entering labor activities, including 9,234 on sugarcane plantations, 2,801 in fishing activities, 1,209 on coffee plantations, 525 from garbage-dump scavenging, 175 from fireworks production, 175 in urban market areas, and 15 in domestic work. ¶5. The Ministry of Labor Liaison Officer for the Elimination 
of Child Labor reported that the Ministry and ILO/IPEC had cooperated in implementing the following projects that were underway, or ending, in 2005: (a) The Ministry of Labor (MOL) estimates that 90 children will benefit from a program funded jointly by ILO/IPEC and the Nehemiah Foundation to eliminate child labor in the Barranca Honda Municipal Landfill in Chalchuapa, Santa Ana Department; the program began in March 2005, and will continue for 12 months. (b) A program begun in January 2005 will continue for 12 months in eliminating garbage scavenging by children in Tecoluca, San Vicente Department. The program is funded by the Women's Entrepreneurial Organization (OEF),and targets 350 children aged 5 to 17. The Ministry of Labor estimates that some 183 families will benefit from the program. (c) The NGO Salvadoran Communities (COMUS) funded a 15-month program, begun in June 2004 and implemented via ILO/IPEC and MOL, to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in Jiquilisco, Usulutan Department; 123 children aged 5 to 17 are targeted. (d) A program funded jointly by ILO/IPEC and OEF was implemented by ILO and MOL in sugarcane plantations in La Paz and San Vicente departments. The 15-month program, begun in January 2004, targeted 4,700 children. (e) The Salvadoran Foundation for Health and Human Development (FUSAL) and ILO jointly funded a 15-month program begun in January 2004 to eliminate child labor on sugarcane plantations in Sonsonate Department. The target population was 1,267 child workers and 2,534 at-risk children. (f) The local development NGO Patronato para el Desarrollo de las Comunidades de Morazan y San Miguel (PADECOMSM) and ILO funded a 12-month program, begun in September 2004, to provide assistance to underage victims of sexual exploitation. (g) The women's NGO CONAMUS and ILO jointly funded a 12-month program begun in September 2004 to assist 125 at-risk children in preventing commercial sexual explotation of children in San Salvador. (h) In March 2004, the Civilian National Police (PNC) and ILO began a jointly-funded 12-month program to improve the institutional capacity of police in prevention, investigation, and prosecution of commercial sexual exploitation of minors. (i) In December 2003, a 24-month program jointly funded by PADECOMSM and ILO began in San Miguel, targeting 400 child workers among informal street vendors in the municipal market and public parks. (j) The Salvadoran Association for Rural Health (ASAPROSAR) and ILO jointly funded a 12-month program begun in January 2004 to eliminate child labor in the municipal market in Santa Ana. The target population includes 300 children from 125 families. (k) FUSAL and ILO have jointly funded a program to withdraw 1,500 children from hazardous fishing labor, and to prevent 2,790 at-risk children from entering hazardous labor in the fisheries workforce. (l) ILO and OEF are jointly funding a program to eliminate child labor in fishing in Usulutan; the target population includes 550 children presently laboring in fisheries; the Ministry of Labor estimates that 517 families will benefit from the program. Barclay