Alarmed by the number of children working in the mines in Madagascar, the European Parliament on Thursday 13 February called on the Malagasy authorities to ensure respect for children’s rights and to guarantee the safety and integrity of these children, in line with their responsibility.
In a resolution adopted by a show of hands, MEPs call on the government to work towards the eradication of child labour in general and on the European Union to continue to make this issue an essential element of its political dialogue with Madagascar, a member of the group of 79 ACP countries (Africa/Caribbean/Pacific).
Parliament points out that, according to the World Bank, Madagascar is the fifth country in the world in terms of the number of children out of school and that, according to estimates, 47% of Malagasy children aged between 5 and 17 were forced to work, 86,000 of them in mines, in 2018.
MEPs want the European Commission and Member States to work closely with different sectors to prevent products and services related to Malagasy child labour from finding their way onto the European market.
The EU and its Member States are invited to work with Madagascar to support the adoption and implementation of legislation, policies, budgets and action programmes that would contribute to the full realisation of all the rights of every child. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)