International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)

IV Global Conference on Child Labour

Global Conference on the Sustained Eradication of Child Labour, Buenos Aires, 14-16 November, 2017
In conflicts and disasters, protect children from child labour

As the world strives to achieve the elimination of child labour by 2025, on this World Day Against Child Labour, let’s join forces to end child labour in areas affected by conflict and disaster!
© Lisa Kristine

Alliance 8.7: For a world without forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour

Building on the new momentum created by the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Alliance 8.7 brings together all interested parties to join forces in achieving Target 8.7 aiming at a world without forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour.

Global number of children in child labour has declined by one third since 2000, from 246 million to 168 million children. More than half of them, 85 million, are in hazardous work (down from 171 million in 2000).
Asia and the Pacific still has the largest numbers (almost 78 million or 9.3% of child population), but Sub-Saharan Africa continues to be the region with the highest incidence of child labour (59 million, over 21%).
There are 13 million (8.8%) of children in child labour in Latin America and the Caribbean and in the Middle East and North Africa there are 9.2 million (8.4%).
Agriculture remains by far the most important sector where child labourers can be found (98 million, or 59%), but the problems are not negligible in services (54 million) and industry (12 million) – mostly in the informal economy.
Child labour among girls fell by 40% since 2000, compared to 25% for boys.

_{Source: Marking progress against child labour - Global estimates and trends 2000-2012 (ILO-IPEC, 2013).}

ILO