Without immediate action, the coronavirus pandemic will force more children in the Arab world into workplaces even as 15 million already engage in child labour, Saudi Arabia’s Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal said on Thursday.
He said that while displacement due to fighting and instability in the region had already forced tens of thousands of children from education and into the workplace, the pandemic was likely to exacerbate the situation.
"[It] will push many families into unemployment and poverty, putting pressure on children," the prince, who heads of the Arab Council for Childhood and Development, said. "Many [children] will be forced into labour in addition to being exposed to violence, and psychological and physical abuse," he added, in a statement following the UN's World Day Against Child Labour, on June 12.
The prince cited International Labour Organisation data showing that half the population of Arab countries are classified as children and young adults and that at least 15 per cent of all children in the region are "engaged in some form of child labour."
He called on the international community to ensure that a significant portion of the new generation is not lost and urged a doubling of efforts to curb child labour in all industries.
"More alarmingly, several of our children are being forced to engage in illegal activities or street work and separated from families. That must stop,” he said. “We must restore the dignity of our children and ensure that every child in the Arab world has access to education as well as a strong support system to promote their social, physical and psychological well-being,” said the prince, who is also Committee Chair of the Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development.
“Our goal is to ensure the prohibition and eradication of child labour of all forms by 2025, and to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, as we believe that returning children to their rightful place at schools is key to poverty alleviation and the upliftment of communities,” he added.
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Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
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A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
Who was Alfred Nobel?
The Nobel Prize was created by wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel.
- In his will he dictated that the bulk of his estate should be used to fund "prizes to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind".
- Nobel is best known as the inventor of dynamite, but also wrote poetry and drama and could speak Russian, French, English and German by the age of 17. The five original prize categories reflect the interests closest to his heart.
- Nobel died in 1896 but it took until 1901, following a legal battle over his will, before the first prizes were awarded.
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Director: Matty Brown
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MATHC INFO
England 19 (Try: Tuilagi; Cons: Farrell; Pens: Ford (4)
New Zealand 7 (Try: Savea; Con: Mo'unga)
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Heather, the Totality
Matthew Weiner,
Canongate
