Cambodia launches action plan to eliminate worst forms of child labor by 2025

Cambodia on Thursday launched a multimillion-U.S.-dollar action plan to eliminate the worst forms of child labor by 2025, labor minister Ith Samheng said.

The worst forms of child labor include working in hazardous environment such as in salt fields, brick factories, construction, agriculture and fishing sector.

According to a government's child labor survey in 2013, some 429,380 Cambodian children, aged below 15 years old, involved in child labor and about 236,498 of them were in the worst forms of child labor.

Ith Samheng said the government considered the elimination of child labor as a priority task and called on enterprises not to employ child labor.

"The launching of the national plan of action on the elimination of the worst forms of child labor clearly reflects the government's high commitment in protecting children," he said during the launching ceremony.

"The plan of action is a roadmap for the stakeholders to work together toward eliminating the worst forms of child labor by 2025," the minister added. Endit