Child Labour Day 2019: ILO marks 100 years of global action to end child labour

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 The global community Wednesday commemorated the World Day Against Child Labour under the theme: “Children shouldn`t work in fields, but on dreams!” under the auspices of the International Labour Organization (ILO); this year also marks the 100th anniversary of ILO’s quest for “advancing social justice and promoting decent work”.

“On this World Day Against Child Labor we look back on progress achieved over a 100 years of ILO`s support to countries on tackling child labor. We will also look forward towards the UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 set by the international community calling for an end to child labor in all its forms by 2025,” says a press statement by ILO, in commemoration of its centenary anniversary.

A child is any human being between 0 and 18 years of age. During this period, children must enjoy the opportunity to learn, play and grow with dignity; according to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – an international legal framework that came into being in 1989, with the aim to protect the full rights of every child across the world.

According to the UN, child labor occurs in almost every sector of the economy with over 152 million children currently involved in it; seven out of every ten cases of child labour occurs in agriculture. Amongst others, the UN Sustainable Development Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) is targeted at eliminating the worst forms of child labor, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers during war as well as ending child labor in all its different forms, by 2025.

“In support of Alliance 8.7 – a global partnership for eradicating forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and child labour – we call for immediate action to address the remaining challenges so that the world community can get firmly on track towards eliminating child labour,” the statement added.

The ILO came about in 1919 to promote the rights of people at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection, and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues. In addition, since 2002, June 12 has been globally recognized as World Day Against Child Labor, dedicated to creating awareness and focusing global attention on child labour so as to eliminate it. This year`s event is being commemorated alongside the Centenary International Labour Conference holding June 10 – 21 in Geneva, Switzerland.