PURPOSE: The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of Child Laborer and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. Each year on 12 June, the World Day brings together governments, Enterprise Manager,Employes and Workers organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of Child labourer and what can be done to help them?
FORUM: "Let’s act on our commitments: End Child Labour!" World Day Against Child Labour 2024. This year’s World Day will focus on celebrating the 25th anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999), which, in 2020, was the first ILO Convention to be universally ratified. While we will call on all remaining member States that have not done so to ratify Convention No. 138, the World Day will also be an opportunity for reminding all stakeholders to improve their implementation of the two fundamental ILO Conventions on child labour – ILO Convention No. 182 and ILO Convention No. 138 for Minimum Age for Admission to Employment or Work (1973). While much progress has been made in reducing child labour over the years, recent years have seen global trends reverse, and, now more than ever it is important to join forces to accelerate action towards ending child labour in all its forms. With the adoption of Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7, the international community made a commitment to the elimination of child labour in all its forms by 2025. Governments around the world have ratified ILO Conventions on child labour (Convention No. 182 ratified by all 187 ILO member States, and Convention No. 138 ratified by 176 member States) and are committed to their implementation. The Durban Call to Action, adopted by delegates following the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour in 2022, shows the way. The ILO, together with its constituents and partners have called for:
Reinvigorated international action to achieve social justice, particularly under the envisaged Global Coalition for Social Justice, with child labour elimination as one of its important elements;
Universal ratification of ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age, which, together with the universal ratification of ILO Convention No. 182 on Worst Forms of Child Labour achieved in 2020, would provide all children with legal protection against all forms of child labour; and the
Effective implementation of the “Durban Call to Action” to ensure universal access to social protection and to help construct a path towards a world free of child labour, as called under SDG Target 8.7, and in SDG Target 1.3.
Why and where do children work?, How did child labor change over time?. Follow the conversation with the hashtags: #WDACL, #SocialJustice, #WorldChildLabourDay; #12June, #EndChildLabour.
EVENTS: Celebration of the 25th anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention No. 182. On Wednesday, June 12th from 13:30 until 14:45 (Europe/Zurich) to observe the World Day Against Child Labour 2024, a high-level side event will be organized by the ILO during the 112th Session of the International Labour Conference. The participants will discuss the fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and celebrate the 25 years since the adoption of ILO Convention No. 182. The conference wil also provides an opportunity for tripartite constituents to discuss advances and challenges in relation to the elimination of child labour with the aim to improve implementation worldwide, as well as to promote universal ratification of ILO Convention No. 138. The opening ceremony will start with the Opening Remarks by ILO Director-General and the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate followed by two panels discussions; Panel 1: Eliminating child labour - progress, challenges and the way forward; Panel 2: Partnerships to scale up action, moderated by the Geneva Press Club. Watch the high-level event!
ACTIVITIES: Now is the time to make the elimination of child labour a reality. Check out the activities to mark the Wprd Day taking place in your country!; Interested in training;Take a look at upcoming events, which include courses for data users and data producers.
WEBINARS: Towards a Resilient Future: An Inclusive Path to a Child Labor-Free World. To commemorate this year’s World Day Against Child Labor, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs invites you to join us to discuss the crucial intersection of climate change and child labor both in the U.S. and abroad, and the role that each of us—businesses, governments, civil society, and others— can play in accelerating a just transition to a more sustainable, equitable, and dynamic economy free of child labor. Watch the livestream!
PUBLICATIONS: Suggested documents to read on EMPLOYMENT -World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2024 and the World Employment and Social Outlook: May 2024 Update; On LABOUR UNDERUTILIZATION -The jobs gap: Measuring labour underutilisation beyond unemployment; On INFORMAL ECONOMY - Statistical Methodology Series 11 – Identification of informality through labour force surveys
STATEMENTS: Message from the ILO Director-General on On World Day Against Child Labour 2024, June 12th.
PODCASTS : Roughly 168 million children were subjected to child labour. This accounts for nearly 1 in 10 children worldwide. Almost half of them are in hazardous work that directly endangers their health and moral development. Let’s talk about how to move Towards Universal Social Protection and achieving SDG 1.3. Listen to the audio-podcasts!
CAMPAIGN MATERIALS: "Let’s act on our commitments: End Child Labour!" campaign. Join the international community calls to support greater social justice and step up the fight against child labour. To Eliminate child labour – greater engagement and collaboration needed. Here you will find the communication materials to promote the campaign.
WHY WE CELEBRATE THE DAY?
ACTIONS
PARTNERSHIPS
This year’s World Day Against Child Labour will be celebrated with a “Week of Action against Child Labour”, marked from 3-12 June 2022.
Gives voice to informal and marginalized workers.
Influence societal norms and behaviors to eliminate child labor.
Bring visibility to supply chains.
Give children the chance to learn, laugh, & play.
Contribute to Stop child labor in global supply chains through a market-based holistic and authentic system.
Provide quality education to rescued and vulnerable children, and deter children from entering labor.
Throughout this special week, events and activities around the world will provide an opportunity to showcase progress on the elimination of child labour.
The World Day Against Child Labour is organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO); The United Natios Chilren Fund (UNICEF); The Alliance 8.7; The Regional Initiative Latin America and the Caribbean Free of Child Labour, the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC+). With the collaboration of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), the African Movement of Working Children and Youth, the International Cocoa Initiative, the GoodWeave International, the Concerned for Working Children (CWC), the Voice of the Free, the Amsterdam-based foundation for International Research on Working Children (IREWOC), the International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF), the Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARC), Child Labour Unit and the Bureau of International Labor Affairs. With the participation of Civil Society Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations, Policy makers, Researchers and academics.
The World Day Against Child Labour is celebrated to highlight the plight of child labourers. More than half of them are exposed to the worst forms of child labour such as work in hazardous environments, slavery, or other forms of forced labour, illicit activities including drug trafficking and prostitution, as well as involvement in armed conflict.
Guided by the principles enshrined in ILO's Minimum Age Convention No. 138 and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention No. 182, the ILO Programme on Child Labour (IPEC) works to achieve the effective abolition of child labour.
We are facing arduous times. Progress against child labour has stagnated since 2016, where 160 million children are still in child labour. It’s time to accelerate the pace of progress. It’s time to inspire legislative and practical actions to eliminate child labour for good. It’s time to shift from commitments to action!