International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)
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© Kids United
World Children’s Day
Kids United sings against child labour
French youth music group, Kids United New Generation, has lent their voices to the ILO’s global campaign to end child labour. Their latest song highlights the urgent need to take action and calls on governments and organizations around the world to do more.
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Fundamental rights for a better future of work
Core work-related rights and principles can play a vital role in recovery from the COVID-19 crisis and help build a better, more equitable, world of work, says a new ILO report.
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ILO Child Labour Convention achieves universal ratification
All 187 member States of the International Labour Organization have ratified the ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, 1999 (No. 182).
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© Issouf Sanogo / AFP
COVID-19 may push millions more children into child labour – ILO and UNICEF
Child labour down by 94 million since 2000, a gain now under threat.
Facts and figures
- Worldwide 218 million children between 5 and 17 years are in employment.
Among them, 152 million are victims of child labour; almost half of them, 73 million, work in hazardous child labour. - In absolute terms, almost half of child labour (72.1 million) is to be found in Africa; 62.1 million in the Asia and the Pacific; 10.7 million in the Americas; 1.2 million in the Arab States and 5.5 million in Europe and Central Asia.
- In terms of prevalence, 1 in 5 children in Africa (19.6%) are in child labour, whilst prevalence in other regions is between 3% and 7%: 2.9% in the Arab States (1 in 35 children); 4.1% in Europe and Central Asia (1 in 25); 5.3% in the Americas (1 in 19) and 7.4% in Asia and the Pacific region (1 in 14).
- Almost half of all 152 million children victims of child labour are aged 5-11 years.
42 million (28%) are 12-14 years old; and 37 million (24%) are 15-17 years old. - Hazardous child labour is most prevalent among the 15-17 years old. Nevertheless up to a fourth of all hazardous child labour (19 million) is done by children less than 12 years old.
- Among 152 million children in child labour, 88 million are boys and 64 million are girls.
- 58% of all children in child labour and 62% of all children in hazardous work are boys. Boys appear to face a greater risk of child labour than girls, but this may also be a reflection of an under-reporting of girls’ work, particularly in domestic child labour.
- Child labour is concentrated primarily in agriculture (71%), which includes fishing, forestry, livestock herding and aquaculture, and comprises both subsistence and commercial farming; 17% in Services; and 12% in the Industrial sector, including mining.
News
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Kids United sings against child labour
20 November 2020
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© ILO 2020
Child labour is an affront to our common values
20 November 2020
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Burning Hands
06 November 2020
Events
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"Take a Stand" - Song calling for action to end child labour
20 November 2020
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Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit on the Fair Share for Children
9 - 10 September 2020
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COVID-19: Protect children from child labour, now more than ever!
25 June 2020
Just released
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Fundamental principles and rights at work
Issue paper on COVID-19 and fundamental principles and rights at work
07 October 2020
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Publication
IPEC+ Global Flagship Programme Implementation
03 July 2020
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Publication
COVID-19 and child labour: A time of crisis, a time to act
12 June 2020