2012 World Day Against Child Labor: Human Rights and Social Justice

12 June 2012

Press Statement
Victoria Nuland
Department of State Spokesperson

On this World Day Against Child Labor, we partner with members of the international community to reiterate our commitment to ending exploitative child labor around the world, with a particular recognition of the important relationship between eliminating child labor, and promoting broader human rights.

The most recent estimate by the International Labor Organization (ILO) suggests that 215 million boys and girls are involved in child labor throughout the world, often in hazardous and exploitative conditions. The U.S. Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and the annual Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report call attention to global trends in child labor each year.

As Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has stressed, “The exploitation of children anywhere should be a concern to people everywhere.” Children in situations of exploitative child labor are deprived education, and lack the opportunities to rise to their full potential and lift themselves, their families and their communities out of a cycle of poverty.

It is essential to continue to strengthen efforts to abolish child labor to ensure that the world’s children remain free from exploitation. Through its labor diplomacy efforts in diplomatic missions, as well as key partnerships at home and abroad, the Department of State will continue to promote labor rights, and develop and implement effective approaches to combat exploitative child labor.