Tweet

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has officially launched in 2021 " The International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour ". On this occasion Guy Ryder ILO's General Director has solemnly and firmly recalled that "there is no place for child labour in society. It robs children of their future and keeps families in poverty". Child Labour should end by 2030. But the reality on the ground obviously depends on the level of development of each country. Today, nearly 1 in 10 children -approx. 152 million- are in child labour. And among them more than 30 million children live outside their country of birth. Moreover it is a fact that many children under 16 are employed to carry out hazardous work. And it must also be stressed that in many countries throughout the world, especially in West African countries, child labour can even lead to slavery. The most important international organisations including the UN and the ILO want to eradicate child labour within 30 years. We know of course that the road will be long and chaotic. Indeed, there are still too many companies in the world that benefit from child labour. And too many families in misery who survive only through child labour. The fight against poverty is the key to combat this scourge. And education is the key to poverty reduction. Children's place is obviously in school. In a nutshell, issues concerning child labour should be mainstreamed into poverty eradication and effective employment policies.

Tweet