§ Mrs. Curtis-ThomasTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken by the Government to protect(a) child workers, (b) sexually exploited children and (c) child victims of trafficking in (i) Africa, (ii) Asia, (iii) the Pacific, (iv) Latin America, (v) the Caribbean and (vi) the Middle East. [128394]
§ Mr. RammellThe Government are committed to the promotion and protection of child rights worldwide. We urge all countries to ratify and implement the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which sets the standard for guaranteeing children's rights and contains specific provisions on child labour, trafficking and protection from sexual abuse. The FCO's Human322W Rights Project Fund is currently funding over £450,000 worth of practical projects with local NGOs to tackle these and other child rights issues. Details are available at www.fco.gov.uk/hum an rights.
In addition, the Department for International Development provides substantial financial and technical assistance to the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour. This campaign aims to achieve universal ratification and implementation of ILO Conventions 138 on Minimum Age for Employment and 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, which include trafficking and prostitution.