The International Labour Organization (ILO), in partnership with local authorities and private sector actors, has advanced efforts to eliminate child labour in seasonal agriculture in northern Türkiye. A high-level mission began in Ordu, bringing together provincial leaders, municipalities, education officials, and representatives from the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MoLSS), alongside the Association of Chocolate, Biscuit and Confectionery Industries of Europe (CAOBISCO), which is supporting an ongoing ILO project in the country. The three-day mission opened with a stakeholder meeting to assess progress in tackling child labour and promoting decent work in the agricultural sector.
As part of the visit, the delegation met with the Governor of Ordu, Muammer Erol, to highlight the province’s role in addressing child labour in the hazelnut sector. Discussions focused on the challenges faced by seasonal agricultural families and the responsibilities of provincial authorities under the 2024 Presidential and Ministry of National Education Circulars to coordinate monitoring, ensure children’s access to education, and improve settlement conditions. The day concluded with a field visit to improved living areas for agricultural workers, demonstrating the results of multi-stakeholder collaboration.
ILO Director for Türkiye, Yasser Hassan, emphasized the importance of joint efforts between local authorities, industry, and international organizations, noting that with the right mix of policy, monitoring, education, and community services, successful interventions in hazelnuts can be expanded to other crops. The mission showcased direct interventions under ongoing projects supported by the European Union, CAOBISCO, and FERRERO, highlighting how national strategies can be effectively applied at the provincial level. Visits to schools, Social Service Centers, and temporary settlement areas demonstrated initiatives aimed at supporting children’s education, raising awareness, and providing social services to families.
Government officials, including Suat Dede of the MoLSS, highlighted progress at both national and local levels, including clarified steps to secure uninterrupted schooling and the finalization of the National Employment Strategy. This strategy sets targets for improving working conditions, strengthening responsible business conduct, preventing child labour, and sustaining rural employment. CAOBISCO’s Sustainability Manager, Alicia Bellon Moral, praised the project’s role in fostering long-term sustainability and underscored industry’s commitment to supporting responsible supply chains.
The mission also underlined the importance of ensuring continuity in children’s education through school transport, catch-up programmes, and efforts to prevent absenteeism. Teachers and social workers were commended for their frontline role in safeguarding children’s rights and helping to break the cycle of poverty. At the same time, the ILO reiterated its global mandate to promote Decent Work and eliminate child labour, pointing to the latest estimates showing 138 million children worldwide remain engaged in child labour, nearly half in hazardous conditions.
Türkiye’s commitment to conducting a new national child labour survey in 2026 was welcomed, with the ILO providing technical support under the framework of Alliance 8.7, a global partnership to eliminate child labour. The mission highlighted the urgency of tackling root causes, with ILO stressing that ensuring decent work for families is key to preventing child labour and advancing sustainable rural development.
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