GA 4 is clearly animated by a noble desire to think of all children. However, this resolution is both problematically written and has long been rendered obsolete by better crafted legislation. The continued existence of GA 4 is therefore an unconscionable oversight demanding immediate redress. It's essential for this body to resolve the negative consequences of its early efforts, particularly when those efforts are utterly redundant and create serious problems for an important topic.
Accordingly, the General Assembly finds as follows:
- The target's policy focus, protecting children from trauma and harm in the workplace, has since been covered by GA 222 "Prevention of Child Abuse," which is both far better written and broader than the target while mirroring its key provisions regarding physical and psychological abuse as well as nonconsensual sexual acts. It additionally covers forcing minors into traumatic wartime service under "any deliberate act and/or behaviour which results in serious emotional and mental trauma in a child." Thus, GA 222 comprehensively renders the target obsolete.
- Aside from the total redundancy with GA 222, the target also touches on a variety of subjects that have since been covered by this body in far greater detail:
- In addition to this abundance of better written and more effective resolutions, the target contains several notable flaws:
- Clause B6 bans the employment of minors in "work in environments that may expose them to hazardous substances, agents and/or processes." Given that even very effective safety measures can't completely eliminate the risk of accidents, this provision can interfere with the ability of minors to gain valuable work experience in settings such as labs or medical offices.
- Clause B3 is similarly problematic, as work can involve "dangerous machinery, dangerous equipment or dangerous tools" without the worker running any reasonable risk of being harmed by such machinery, equipment, or tools.
- Clause B7 banning the employment of minors in "work which would preclude the pursuit of a full-time education" is a needless restriction for those who have already completed their full-time education before reaching their nation's age of majority. At the same time, it's a very high bar to meet for those who may actually benefit from such a provision, since work could significantly interfere with someone's ability to pursue a full-time education without necessarily precluding it.
Satisfied that while the target may have served an important role in this venerable body's infancy, it has long since moved beyond and expanded from it for the above reasons, and
Wishing to put a venerable resolution to a long-overdue rest,
We repeal GA 4 "Restrictions on Child Labor."
