Shining Light into Dark Corners Forum 2 Children and Youth Groups Forum on Personal Safety, Discrimination, and School Bullying 3 with Respect to Excessive Working Hours, Threshold Restrictions for Unionization, Employment Discrimination, Abuse of Police Criminal Record Certificates, Work Safety, and Occupational Injuries. In 2014, Taiwan enacted the Implementation Act S i n c e t h e 1 9 t h c e n t u r y, a t t e n t i o n t o a n d importance of protecting collective labor rights but of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which implementation of labor rights have gradually also mentioned that civil servants' occupational stipulates that the United Nations Convention become one of the most important core values of safety must be taken seriously. In addition, the on the Rights of Children (CRC) has the effect of international human rights development. With a Secretary-General of the Taiwan Labor Front, Sun domestic law. Different from the previous laws and series of advocacy and social movements for labor You-lian, also mentioned that it is becoming more regulations for children and adolescents in Taiwan, rights, it has become a crucial force of social and more common for job seekers to be asked to which mainly focus on welfare or protection reform for democratic development worldwide. provide a police criminal record certificate. Is it of their rights and interests, the CRC takes the The United Nations International Covenant on legal to make such a request? Does it infringe on fundamental rights of persons below 18 years old Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) employment discrimination? Or is it a violation of as its starting point and emphasizes the subjectivity states that governments should proactively protect privacy? of children and adolescents. Governments should The Children's session of the Human Rights Exchange Hub was hosted by Commissioner Yeh Ta-hua. people's right to freely choose their jobs and adopt proactive legislative or administrative ensure that they can have just and favorable Other representatives also pointed out other issues, measures to achieve human rights for children and conditions of work. To protect their rights, the such as excessive working hours, restriction of Several representatives from NGOs for child government shall ensure the rights of everyone to threshold to form a trade unions, employment rights and protection have suggested that the form or join trade union and to strike. discrimination preventive mechanisms, workplace youths as stipulated in the CRC. safety, and occupational injuries should be On April 21, 2021, the NHRC hosted the “Social government should provide comprehensive Dialogue – The Human Rights Exchange Hub:” privacy protection to protect whistleblowers from On May 10, 2021, the NHRC held a labor prioritized. They also presented a number of Children and Youth Groups Forum. The event was retaliation. Moreover, the complaint mechanism forum, chaired by Commissioner Wang Yu-ling, specific proposals and research findings, which moderated by Commissioner Yeh Ta-hua, and 22 and the information in response to complaints who is adept in labor issues. A total of 13 national provide important references for the NHRC on NGOs for child rights and protection were invited. should be clear and accessible for children trade unions and NGOs that paid close attention labor rights. To implement Article 12 “the child who is capable and youths. The promotion of the complaint to occupational safety, labor health, and youth of forming his or her own views has the right to mechanism, assistance in complaint for children labor issues participated in the discussion. express those views freely” and Article 13 “the and youths with disabilities, and dissemination right to freedom of expression” as stipulated in the of children's human rights knowledge are Trade unions that have been promoting labor CRC, the forum invited the participating NGOs to indispensable complementar y measures for rights in the public sector also participated in the discuss “How to Establish a Complaint Mechanism children’s complaint mechanism. forum, which included prison administrators, police officers, and firefighters. They pointed out issues for Children and Youth” and to elicit suggestions. 42 Forum Labor Groups Forum With the NGOs’ first-hand observations and Due to the popularization of smart phones, such as unreasonable shift systems, workplace experiences with policy advocacy on children tablets, and the Internet, children and youths bullying, restrictions on the collective labor rights, and youth’s human rights issues, such as safety, are accustomed to using social media and workplace safety, and labor health all of which discrimination, school bullying, sexual harassment, communication apps from an early age. The have been largely neglected by the government. sexual assault, placement, and guardianship, the participating NGOs called on the government President Huang Yu-xiang, the only firefighter who forum wanted the various groups to share their top to set up an agency to protect children and survived the Bowling Alley Fire incident, spoke on and current children and youth human rights issues youths from Internet fraud, abduction, and behalf of the National Association for Firefighters’ and concerns. harassment. Rights (NAFR). He not only emphasized the Chairperson Chen Chu participated in all the labor’s session of the Human Rights Exchange Hub. 43