Research On The Problem Of Child Labor Under International Law

Based on the statistics of the United Nations Child Labor's Fund, each one in seven children engaged in child labor today in the world. An estimated 200 million children between the ages of five and fourteen work. Ninety-five percent of child laborers are employed in developing countries. The incident of child labor in Dongguan Liangshan in 2008, shows that Child labor exists indeed in China and is a critical issue that we can't turn a blind eye to. Generally speaking, most child labor work for extended periods of time performing mundane jobs in decrepit working conditions. How to eliminate and prohibit child labor becomes an international concern.Poverty is a key factor, but socio-cultural, national policies and the economic interests of employers also contribute to the work of children. Among the International organizations in efforts to eliminate child labor, International Labour Organization, United Nations and World Trade Organization rules have greater influence, but they meet difficulties in the implementation of conventions. Child labor provisions of free trade agreements made by the United States have a positive impact. A popular source of cheap labor that transnational corporations can make use of is child labor. As a problem of social and economic development, child labor requires transnational corporations to act proactively. After exposure in the media for its association with a supplier that uses child labor, Codes of conduct were produced in response to child labor. Code of conduct had a positive impact in dealing with the issue of child labor, But it's just a declaration and not legally enforceable. Where a transnational corporations detects incidents of child labor, the transnational corporations should focus on creating meaningful alternatives for children dismissed from work not only impulsively discontinue its relationship with the supplier or require that child laborers be dismissed from the supplier's production. China is in a rapid economic development, but the current situation of child labor is not optimistic. Although child labor laws in China is fairly complete, but due to poor supervision and enforcement, the mission of eliminating child labor in China is still long way to go.