Take Action: Put an End to Child Labour!

This year's World Day Against Child Labour (WDACL) - which comes on June 12 of each year - is considered as an opportunity to urge the tripartite constituents of the International Labour Organization (government - employers - workers) to take decisive actions to eliminate child labour. WDACL 202 focuses on actions taken since the declaration of The United Nations General Assembly this year 2021 is the "International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour".

Press release | 12 June 2021
In this regard, Mr Eric Oechslin, Director of the International Labour Organization's Cairo office, confirmed that the WDACL for 2021 is of particular importance, as it is the first year since the universal ratification of ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. It coincides with the current crisis in COVID-19 which threatens to undo years of progress in addressing the issue of child labour.

He added that according to ILO statistics, the number of working children is estimated at over 160 million, including those in hazardous work. These children are now more exposed to more difficult conditions and longer working hours. They have to contribute to the family income at a very young age. Yet with the right policies in place and swift action to implement them, we can protect children from child labour.

Mr Eric Oechslin explained that under the slogan "Act now: End child labour! "the ILO Cairo Office is implementing the project "Accelerating Action for the Elimination of Child Labour in African Supply Chains" (ACCEL Africa), funded by the Dutch Government, in cooperation with the social partners to achieve the objectives of the WDACL 2021 campaign by implementing a series of activities to raise awareness among workers, employers and their organisations, children involved in child labour and their families on the negative impact of child labour and the actions that need to be taken to protect children from child labour as well as to consult with the social partners on the direction of the project activities to support the provision of long-term sustainable alternatives to protect children.

In this context, Mr Eric Oechslin praised the successful cooperation with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) which resulted in the issuance of Ministerial Decree No. 78 of 2021 at the end of May to establish a Child Unit within the Ministry, headed by His Excellency the Minister of Manpower, Mr Mohamed Saafan and involving all relevant units within MOM and a number of ministries and councils concerned with child labour.

This unit will be a permanent mechanism to coordinate national efforts to combat child labour and to follow up on the implementation of a national child labour monitoring system, as well as to raise awareness of the issue of child labour, its risks and the mechanisms to combat it.
In addition, the updating of the list of hazardous work for children, stipulated in Decree No. 118 of 2003, was discussed and validated at the 3rd meeting of the National Steering Committee last May for the implementation of the NAP. The necessary steps are now being taken by the MOM to issue the updated decree.

For her part, Ms. Marwa Salah-Abdou, National Coordinator of the ACCEL Africa project, indicated that in the framework of raising awareness on the fight against child labour, the ACCEL Africa project cooperated with the Federation of Egyptian Industries to prepare an awareness-raising brochure on the fight against child labour. The booklet aims to help employers protect themselves from child labour and better comply with international labour standards and national legislation. It can be viewed and downloaded at here.

Ms. Marwa Salah-Abdou added that the ACCEL Africa project, in cooperation with the Cotton Research Institute affiliated to the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, organised a series of awareness-raising sessions for 60 cotton producers and parents of child labourers in the governorates of Fayoum and Beheira to sensitise them to child labour, its worst forms and the risks involved. In addition to developing an awareness-raising brochure to simplify occupational safety and health measures that aim to protect the safety of farmers and their families from the risks associated with agricultural work.

Ms. Marwa Salah-Abdou also explained that the ILO training programme "SCREAM" was implemented with 31 child workers (girls and boys) in child labour centres in Fayoum governorate, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Solidarity, with the aim of raising awareness of children's rights and the issue of child labour by promoting the roles of child labour centres to support children through drawing, puppet theatre, live theatre and interactive games.

The World Day Against Child Labour is an opportunity to renew our commitment to contribute to the elimination of child labour, and to join the call to end child labour in supply chains, which is why the ILO office in Egypt invites everyone to participate in this day. Every action counts, and together we can make a difference.