UNODC is cosponsor of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS - UNAIDS
Shri Oscar Fernandes, The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment, Government of India visited UNODC, ROSA Office - New Delhi, India, 14 December 2007
Shri Oscar Fernandes, the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Labour and Employment, Government of India visited the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for South Asia (UNODC ROSA), today.
Ms. Ashita Mittal welcomes Mr. Oscar Fernandes, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Ministry of Labour and Employment, Govt. of India
The Minister was welcomed by Mr Gary Lewis, Representative, UNODC ROSA, who thanked the Minister for taking time from his busy schedule, to visit the office and also for his continued support to the United Nations. He reiterated that the UN in general and the UNODC in particular looked forward to working with the Government of India in a collaborative manner.
The Minster spent a few minutes sharing the strategy of the present Government to combat issues related to forced labour, particularly in relation to trafficking, child labour and HIV (Mr. Fernandes is also the Convener of the Parliamentary Forum on HIV/AIDS). He specified that relevant ministries were now working in tandem, to ensure that every child within a panchayat is sent to school.
The Minister in discussion with Mr. Gary Lewis, Representative
He mentioned that his ministry was making efforts to track families of rescued child labourers and to try to identify the root cause behind the child being sent to work. This was followed up by necessary action such as linking the family to the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme to help the family find a viable solution to their problem.
Ms. Ashita Mittal, National Programme Officer, UNODC ROSA, sought inputs from the minister on how he thought the organisation could work with the Youth Congress to highlight issues related to drug abuse prevention, human trafficking and corruption control.
Shri Fernandes indicated that these issues were already in the Congress Manifesto and that the Youth Congress was engaged in similar activities, but also suggested that he would also be happy to receive inputs from UNODC ROSA, on areas of vulnerability that the Ministry of Labour and Employment could focus on, in particular.
