ECA Represents National and Regional Employers at ILO's 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour

The Employers’ Consultative Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ECA) was pleased to represent the Employer community at the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO’s) 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, held in Marrakech, Morocco, from 11–13 February 2026.

Mr Ronald Ramlogan, Chief Executive Officer, participated in a high-level panel examining how education and child protection systems can operate as effective platforms for preventing child labour, sharing the particular experience of small island developing states in the Caribbean context. In this regard, Trinidad and Tobago’s progress in addressing and preventing child labour has been highlighted on this international stage, as well as how practical private sector engagement can support these efforts.

Mr Ramlogan outlined Trinidad and Tobago’s systems-based approach, where universal access to education, early child protection mechanisms and other complementary social support, work together to reduce vulnerability and prevent children from entering exploitative or hazardous work. He emphasised that education in Trinidad and Tobago has long been treated as a public good and a core pillar of national development, reinforced by targeted interventions that help keep children meaningfully connected to school.

Mr Ramlogan also highlighted the importance of linking education and child protection systems, noting that challenges such as chronic absenteeism and dropout risk should be treated not only as education issues, but as potential child protection signals. He pointed to national referral pathways that allow schools, guidance counsellors, and social workers to identify risks early and connect families to appropriate support services.

Members of the panel (from L-R): Afrooz Kaviani Johnson - Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF (Moderator), Soumaila Maiga - Secretary for Training and Education, National Union of Workers of Mali, Esther Ofori Agyemang - Head of Child Labour Unit, Ministry of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Ghana, Mohamed Ait Aazizi - Director of Family, Child and Elderly Protection at the Ministry of Solidarity, Social Inclusion and Family Affairs, Government of Morocco, Ariel Santiago Benítez Perdomo, Municipal Mayor of San Juan, Intibucá, Honduras, Ronald Ramlogan - CEO, Employers' Consultative Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Eric Edmonds, Professor of Economics, Dartmouth College

The session further showcased the role of employers in supporting prevention efforts, both through responsible workplace practices and through partnerships that strengthen education access and retention. Mr Ramlogan noted that many employers in Trinidad and Tobago already contribute through initiatives such as supporting school nutrition, providing supplies and digital access, improving facilities, and engaging directly with communities. He underscored the value of progressing towards more structured and coordinated education-retention partnerships.

Trinidad and Tobago’s National Steering Committee on Child Labour, a multi-stakeholder body coordinated through the Ministry of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, was also referenced as a key mechanism for national coordination, research, and programme development. Particular attention was drawn to the Ministry’s Child Ambassador Programme, which empowers children and young persons to raise awareness, encourage safe reporting, and support peer-driven prevention within schools and communities.

The 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, which concludes on Friday 13th, brings together governments, employers, workers’ organisations, international agencies, and civil society to assess progress, share good practices, and strengthen global cooperation toward ending child labour in all its forms.

The ECA’s participation reinforced Trinidad and Tobago’s standing as an active contributor to regional and international policy discourse, and underscored the importance of continued collaboration between government, employers, and social partners to protect children’s rights and promote decent work.