2017 World Day Against Child Labour

by Impactpool

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The World Day Against Child Labour is observed on June 12. The day was launched by The International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2002. In 2017 the focus is on the impact of conflicts and disasters on child labour.

In 2017 the focus of the World Day against Child Labour is on the impact of conflicts and disasters on child labour.

According to the UN Child labour that is proscribed under international law falls into three categories:

The unconditional worst forms of child labour, which are internationally defined as slavery, trafficking, debt bondage and other forms of forced labour, forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, prostitution and pornography, and illicit activities.
Labour performed by a child who is under the minimum age specified for that kind of work (as defined by national legislation, in accordance with accepted international standards), and that is thus likely to impede the child’s education and full development.
Labour that jeopardizes the physical, mental or moral well-being of a child, either because of its nature or because of the conditions in which it is carried out, known as “hazardous work”.

According to ILO:

Global number of children in child labour has declined by one third since 2000, from 246 million to 168 million children. More than half of them, 85 million, are in hazardous work (down from 171 million in 2000).
Asia and the Pacific still has the largest numbers (almost 78 million or 9.3% of child population), but Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region with the highest incidence of child labour (59 million, over 21%).
There are 13 million (8.8%) of children in child labour in Latin America and the Caribbean and in the Middle East and North Africa there are 9.2 million (8.4%).
Agriculture remains by far the most important sector where child labourers can be found (98 million, or 59%), but the problems are not negligible in services (54 million) and industry (12 million) – mostly in the informal economy.
Child labour among girls fell by 40% since 2000, compared to 25% for boys.

There is a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) which aims to “eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour”.

Find out more about the World Day against Child Labour and read the comprehensive information about ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC).

In connection to the focus on the impact of conflicts and disasters on child labour, take part of the section Children at work from UNHCR’s material The Future of Syria, Refugee Children in Crisis.

Find out how Unicef works with decreasing child labour

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