On the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour—established by the International Labour Organization in 2002 and observed annually on 12 June—the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, the Arab Labour Organization, and the Arab Council for Childhood and Development issued a joint statement to reaffirm the urgency of mobilising Arab and international attention and renewing the call to strengthen regional and global commitment to eliminating child labour in all its forms. The statement reads:
This year's observance comes as the global objective of eradicating child labour in all its forms by 2025 remains out of reach. The most recent global estimates from 2021 reveal that 160 million children—comprising 63 million girls and 97 million boys—are engaged in child labour. This alarming figure reflects the impact of a series of successive global crises, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, armed conflicts and wars, rapid technological transformation, and widening social and economic disparities.
Yet, despite the gravity of the situation, there remains a glimmer of hope on the path towards eliminating this phenomenon. The Second World Summit for Social Development, scheduled for November in Qatar, is expected to spotlight effective mechanisms for promoting decent work and combating poverty—the primary driver of child labour. Its outcomes are anticipated to feed into the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, set to take place in Morocco in 2026, with the aim of enhancing coordination among national, regional, and international efforts.
As committed regional partners, we reaffirm our full readiness to continue joint action to combat child labour and to support relevant international efforts and United Nations initiatives. Since the launch of the "Child Labour in Arab Countries" study in 2019, we have remained steadfast in raising awareness and deepening understanding of this issue and its wide-ranging consequences. In 2025, we are set to convene the Arab Conference on "Child Labour and Social Protection Policies," in recognition that integrated social protection systems are essential to achieving social justice and securing a sustainable future for generations to come.
On this significant occasion, we must also turn our attention to the dire situation facing the children of Gaza, who are enduring one of the most horrific humanitarian tragedies in recent memory—a gross violation of their most fundamental right: the right to life. Recent figures indicate that approximately 18,000 children have been killed, while thousands of others have been deprived of the most basic necessities of survival. These atrocities place a direct moral and legal obligation on the international community to act decisively to protect Palestinian children and ensure their rights to health, education, and a safe and dignified life.
We call on all relevant actors to take urgent action to protect children from all forms of exploitation and to uphold their rights as enshrined in international conventions and treaties. Our appeal is particularly directed toward the millions of working children who have been robbed of their childhood and innocence, exposed to harm both physically and psychologically, and denied their fundamental rights to education, development, and a life of dignity, humanity, and justice.
Let us collectively commit to protecting children and to creating a safe, nurturing environment that ensures every child a fair chance at life. Let us renew our resolve to eliminate child labour and build a world that truly reflects their dreams and aspirations.
