3071-The political economy of new slavery

150 Child Labour in Latin America
cost. Their financing is dependent on a substantial increase in social
expenditure. This not only requires commitment on the part of the
government and taxpayers to social spending, but also economic growth
to finance these measures. With debt cancellation under the HIPC
initiative only constituting approximately one-quarter of the actual
debt 36 and the global economic climate looking less than rosy, it
remains to be seen what can be achieved.
Institution building and awareness-raising
Another important policy element is institutional strengthening and
capacity building. Good institutions with well-trained staff are crucial to
providing an effective framework for action on child labour. 37 In this
context, a key institution is the Ministry of Labour, which also oversees
the work of the National Commission. 38 The Secretary of Labour is
assigned several functions and duties by national legislation. These
are, the issuing of work permits for children over 14 years of age, 39
inspection of working conditions, managing complaints and reports
of infringements, as well as enforcement measures such as imposing
sanctions on employers defying legislation on the protection of
children (Comisión Nacional, 2000b). Labour inspectors are crucial to
the work of the Labour Secretary. As resources are limited, and access to
rural areas – where a large part of child labour occurs – is difficult,
awareness-raising among civil society in general, and child workers and
their parents more specifically, is important. 40 Through this, it is hoped
that children and adults will denounce infringements of children’s
protection and the worst forms of child labour (Groves, 2003, p. 4).
This in turn would lessen the workload of the labour inspectors, while
ensuring that employers do not get away with having children work
in particularly exploitative and slavery-like conditions. 41
To this end, Save the Children UK together with the Ministry of
Labour developed a project aimed at strengthening ‘the capacity of
the regional technical sub-councils, 42 ...[as well as raising] awareness
amongst civil society to advocate against the worst forms of child labour
and monitor the implementation of Convention 182’ (Groves, 2003,
p. 4). This project has been instrumental to further awareness-raising
activities in regional areas. Groves points out that ‘[p]rior to the
project...[such] activities were limited and primarily focused on legislators
and other Tegucigalpa based institutions’ (Groves, 2003, p. 4).
The project also fulfils the crucial function of linking the various
actors involved in the implementation process, from the children