World Day Against Child Labour, 12th June 2024

The World Day Against Child Labour, which is held annually on 12 June, aims to draw attention to the global issue of child labour, facilitate international dialogue on the subject, and consider strategies for eradicating this phenomenon. The achievement of these goals is contingent upon the active participation of a number of key stakeholders, including States, non-state actors, international organisations (both governmental and non-governmental), and civil society.

Background: What is it? When was it first created?

The World Day Against Child Labour was inaugurated by the International Labour Organization (ILO) during an event at its Geneva offices on 11 June 2002.

At the time of the inaugural event, the 9th ILO Director-General Juan Somavi declared that "This first World Day Against Child Labour is intended to help spread the message that child labour remains a serious problem and that we must do more to combat it. We are asking everyone to join together in working towards a world where no children will be deprived of a normal, healthy childhood, where parents can find decent jobs and children can go to school. Our goal is a world free from child labour."

The objective was to disseminate information about the detrimental mental and physical consequences experienced by children compelled to engage in child labour, globally, on the eve of the adoption of the ILO Convention concerning the worst forms of child labour of 1999 (n.182), which was the most rapidly ratified agreement in the UN's history. Over the years, the objectives to be achieved through the augmentation of the issue of child labour have been a constant source of attention, and the necessity to revise and revisit the strategies to eliminate child labour has been repeatedly emphasised.

Since 2002, the World Day has been observed annually, contributing to the strengthening of international awareness of the phenomenon and to the reinforcement of international and national commitment. The significance of the day has been reflected in the United Nations framework, where a resolution was adopted in 2021 declaring the year as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour. The ILO was tasked with leading the implementation of this resolution.  The day brings together governments, local authorities, civil society, and international, workers' and employers' organisations to highlight the issue of child labour and to define the guidelines to assist child labourers.

Child labour today: wins and losses 

In 2015, world leaders adopted the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The main intent was to create “a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity” and to seek “to strengthen universal peace in  larger freedom”. This time 17 interrelated Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets were announced to be achieved by the end of 2030. Conversely to the previous Agenda, the Sustainable Development Agenda overcame the lacuna of the previous Agenda on child labour, putting the basis for a

targeted global fight.

The 17 interrelated goals and their 169 associated targets have been designed to provide a framework for global development, to eliminate human rights violations and to create a fair and prosperous world for current and future generations. In this context, it is notable that all member states of the UN have committed themselves to the achievement of Target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals. This commitment is expressed in the following terms: “take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms”.

In spite of the first good results, achieved thanks to the implementation of the 20203 Agenda, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has compromised possible improvements.

The most recent report “Child Labour: 2020 Global Estimates, trends and the road forward”, which was jointly drafted by UNICEF and ILO, indicates that data on child labour remain alarming.

The following are some examples:

• The number of children between the ages of 5 and 17 has increased to 160 million in 2020.
• The prevalence of child labour has increased significantly in Sub-Saharan Africa, with 86.6 million children, aged between 5 and 17, engaged in the worst forms of child labour. Over half of all children engaged in child labour are concentrated in this particular geographical area.
• The current global figure for children in this situation is 79 million.
• A total of 112 million children, aged between five and seventeen, are engaged in agricultural work.
• Of all children engaged in labour, nearly 28% of those between the ages of 5 and 17 and 35% of those between the ages of 12 and 14 are not in education.
• The prevalence of child labour is greater among boys than girls in all age groups.

This year’ World Day: focus and goals

This year’s World Day Against Child Labour will focus on the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999). The official theme for World Day Against Child Labour 2024 is “Let's act on our commitments:”. The objective is to eradicate child labour.

A high-level side event will be held by the ILO during the 112th Session of the International Labour Conference. The discussion will focus on the relationship between social justice and the eradication of child labour.

One of the ILO's key priorities for the year ahead is to encourage all remaining member states that have not yet done so to ratify the ILO Convention on the Minimum Age of 1973. This convention represents a significant milestone in the current approach to child labour. Concurrently, the ILO will utilise this occurrence as an opportunity to remind all stakeholders of the necessity to enhance their implementation of the two fundamental ILO Conventions on child labour, to align with the achievement of Sustainable Development Target 8.7, and to collaborate in order to accelerate action towards the elimination of child labour in all its forms.