World Day Against Child Labour - 12 June 2018

This joint campaign aims to accelerate action to achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target 8.8 of safe and secure working environments for all workers by 2030 and SDG target 8.7 of ending all forms of child labour by 2025. Achieving these goals for the benefit of the next generation of the global workforce requires a concerted and integrated approach to eliminating child labour and promoting a culture of prevention on occupational safety health (OSH).

                                                                                              
All workers have the right to safe and healthy work. Young workers (15-24 year olds) suffer up to a 40 per cent higher rate of non-fatal occupational injuries than adult workers above the age of 25. In addition to injuries, the workplace hazards they face often put their health and very lives at risk. Children have the right to be protected from all forms of child labour, including hazardous work, which affects 73 million children worldwide.

The campaign highlights the critical importance of improving safety and health for young workers above the minimum legal age for work, not only to promote decent youth employment but also to combat hazardous child labour as part of an integrated approach to eradicate all forms of child labour. Some types of work, e.g. mining, are inherently dangerous and prohibited for children under the age of 18 under any circumstances.

The campaign also stresses the critical importance of removing children below the minimum age for work from all forms of child labour, including hazardous work, and ensuring they have access to quality education and attend school at least until they complete compulsory education and reach the minimum legal age for work.

Giang Doan