US embassy cable - 05SANSALVADOR2417

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 SAN SALVADOR 002417 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DOL/ILAB FOR TINA MCCARTER 
DRL/IL FOR LAUREN HOLT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON, ELAB, ES, PHUM, SOCI 
SUBJECT: EL SALVADOR:  2005 CHILD LABOR UPDATE 
 
REF: A. 2004 SAN SALVADOR 2399 
 
     B. STATE 143552 
 
1.  SUMMARY:  This cable updates information on last year's 
child labor report, which otherwise remains valid.  As a 
country eligible for trade benefits under the Generalized 
System of Preferences (GSP) and the Caribbean Basin Trade 
Partnership Act (CBTPA), El Salvador has implemented steps to 
eliminate the worst forms of child labor, including the 
comprehensive USDOL-funded ILO/IPEC Timebound Program.  The 
2003 ILO, UNICEF, and World Bank document "Understanding 
Child Labor in El Salvador" may still be considered a valid 
reference that outlines El Salvador's significant efforts to 
address the problem.  The ILO continues to train judges, 
police officers, and prosecutors in recognizing and 
addressing the worst forms of child labor. 
 
INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR 
----------------------------------- 
 
2.  According to Ada Lazo, MOL Liaison Officer for the 
Elimination of Child labor, the Ministry of Labor uses the 
same data base as that of the ILO/IPEC program.  According to 
the ILO, from October 2003 to March 2005, 47,719 children 
have received medical, psychological, recreational, 
vocational, nutritional, and educational attention under 
ILO/IPEC programs; these activities have helped keep children 
out of labor activities.  The ILO/IPEC, in cooperation with 
the Ministry of Labor, has also provided 4,028 parents with 
training in occupational skills, literacy, productivity, and 
medical attention, among other areas. 
 
3.  For the period of 1999 through August 2005, the ILO 
reported that 6,271 children have been withdrawn from child 
labor.  A total of 3,032 have been withdrawn from sugarcane 
plantations, 1,295 from fishing activity, 1,156 from working 
in coffee plantations, 394 from producing fireworks, 200 from 
scavenging in garbage dumps, and 194 from urban market areas. 
 
4.  During the same 1999 to August 2005 period, the ILO 
reported that they, in cooperation with the Ministry of 
Labor, have prevented 14,134 at-risk children from entering 
labor activities, including 9,234 on sugarcane plantations, 
2,801 in fishing activities, 1,209 on coffee plantations, 525 
from garbage-dump scavenging, 175 from fireworks production, 
175 in urban market areas, and 15 in domestic work. 
 
5.  The Ministry of Labor Liaison Officer for the Elimination 
of Child Labor reported that the Ministry and ILO/IPEC had 
cooperated in implementing the following projects that were 
underway, or ending, in 2005: 
 
(a)  The Ministry of Labor (MOL) estimates that 90 children 
will benefit from a program funded jointly by ILO/IPEC and 
the Nehemiah Foundation to eliminate child labor in the 
Barranca Honda Municipal Landfill in Chalchuapa, Santa Ana 
Department; the program began in March 2005, and will 
continue for 12 months. 
 
(b)  A program begun in January 2005 will continue for 12 
months in eliminating garbage scavenging by children in 
Tecoluca, San Vicente Department.  The program is funded by 
the Women's Entrepreneurial Organization (OEF), and targets 
350 children aged 5 to 17.  The Ministry of Labor estimates 
that some 183 families will benefit from the program. 
 
(c)  The NGO Salvadoran Communities (COMUS) funded a 15-month 
program, begun in June 2004 and implemented via ILO/IPEC and 
MOL, to eliminate the worst forms of child labor in 
Jiquilisco, Usulutan Department; 123 children aged 5 to 17 
are targeted. 
 
(d)  A program funded jointly by ILO/IPEC and OEF was 
implemented by ILO and MOL in sugarcane plantations in La Paz 
and San Vicente departments.  The 15-month program, begun in 
January 2004, targeted 4,700 children. 
 
(e)  The Salvadoran Foundation for Health and Human 
Development (FUSAL) and ILO jointly funded a 15-month program 
begun in January 2004 to eliminate child labor on sugarcane 
plantations in Sonsonate Department.  The target population 
was 1,267 child workers and 2,534 at-risk children. 
 
(f)  The local development NGO Patronato para el Desarrollo 
de las Comunidades de Morazan y San Miguel (PADECOMSM) and 
ILO funded a 12-month program, begun in September 2004, to 
provide assistance to underage victims of sexual 
exploitation. 
 
(g)  The women's NGO CONAMUS and ILO jointly funded a 
12-month program begun in September 2004 to assist 125 
at-risk children in preventing commercial sexual explotation 
of children in San Salvador. 
 
(h)  In March 2004, the Civilian National Police (PNC) and 
ILO began a jointly-funded 12-month program to improve the 
institutional capacity of police in prevention, 
investigation, and prosecution of commercial sexual 
exploitation of minors. 
 
(i)  In December 2003, a 24-month program jointly funded by 
PADECOMSM and ILO began in San Miguel, targeting 400 child 
workers among informal street vendors in the municipal market 
and public parks. 
 
(j)  The Salvadoran Association for Rural Health (ASAPROSAR) 
and ILO jointly funded a 12-month program begun in January 
2004 to eliminate child labor in the municipal market in 
Santa Ana.  The target population includes 300 children from 
125 families. 
 
(k)  FUSAL and ILO have jointly funded a program to withdraw 
1,500 children from hazardous fishing labor, and to prevent 
2,790 at-risk children from entering hazardous labor in the 
fisheries workforce. 
 
(l)  ILO and OEF are jointly funding a program to eliminate 
child labor in fishing in Usulutan; the target population 
includes 550 children presently laboring in fisheries; the 
Ministry of Labor estimates that 517 families will benefit 
from the program. 
Barclay