Deprived of their rights… 138 million children in the world are involved in the labor market

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Deprived of their rights… 138 million children in the world are involved in the labor market

The Director General confirmed For the International Labor Organization Gilbert Hongbo says that childhood should be a stage of learning, growth and play, noting that 138 million children in the world are still deprived of their basic rights due to their involvement in Labor market.
This came during the opening of a high-level event held on Tuesday at the organization’s headquarters in Geneva, to commemorate International Day To combat child labor, which falls on June 12 of each year, with the participation of ministers, government representatives, employers, labor organizations and other concerned parties, under the slogan "Red card against child labour: from Marrakesh to actual work"
The event aimed to discuss mechanisms for implementing the obligations contained in "Marrakesh Framework for Action" Which was adopted during the Sixth World Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, and aims to accelerate international efforts to end this phenomenon.

Children engaged in hazardous work

Hongbo explained that the latest estimates issued by the International Labor Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicate that 138 million children are still working, including 54 million children engaged in hazardous work, with more than half of them being children between the ages of 5 and 11 years.
He stressed that the Marrakesh Framework of Action represents a global road map to strengthen laws and implementation mechanisms, expand opportunities for free, high-quality education, and provide social protection and decent work for adults and youth.

In addition to addressing child labor in the agricultural sector and global supply chains, and protecting children affected by crises and conflicts.
He stressed the need to accelerate the pace of progress to confront economic challenges, natural disasters, and climate change that are pushing more families into poverty, stressing that eliminating child labor is an achievable goal if international efforts are combined.