Joint Statement On the Occasion of World Day Against Child Labor

On the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour, designated by the International Labour Organization in 2002 and observed annually on the 12th of June, the League of Arab States, the Arab Labour Organization, and the Arab Council for Childhood and Development issue this joint statement to reaffirm our shared commitment to raising awareness and mobilizing regional and international action to eliminate child labour in all its forms.

The statement reads as follows:

This year’s World Day Against Child Labour comes at a time when the global target of eliminating child labour in all its forms by 2025 remains far from reach. The latest global estimates issued in 2021 revealed that 160 million children are engaged in child labour worldwide—63 million girls and 97 million boys. This setback is attributed to a series of global crises, most notably the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, conflicts and wars, accelerated technological transformation, and growing socio-economic inequalities.

While the challenges before us remain substantial, there is continued hope along the path toward the eradication of this phenomenon. The forthcoming Second World Summit for Social Development, scheduled for November in the State of Qatar, is expected to serve as a platform to advance strategies aimed at promoting decent work and addressing poverty—widely recognized as a key driver of child labor. The outcomes of this Summit are anticipated to contribute meaningfully to the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor, to be convened in 2026 in the Kingdom of Morocco, thereby fostering greater coherence and complementarity across national, regional, and international efforts.

As steadfast regional partners, we reiterate our unwavering commitment to advancing joint efforts to combat child labor and to supporting global movements and United Nations-led initiatives in this regard. Since the publication of our 2019 report titled “Child Labor in Arab States,” we have placed particular emphasis on raising awareness and enhancing collective understanding of the scope, drivers, and consequences of this phenomenon. In 2025, we will convene the Arab Conference on “Child Labor and Social Protection Policies,” underscoring the critical role of comprehensive social protection systems in promoting social justice and securing a sustainable future for generations to come.

On this significant occasion, it is impossible to speak of children’s rights without acknowledging the harrowing humanitarian catastrophe endured by the children of Gaza, whose fundamental right to life is being violated. Recent figures indicate that approximately 18,000 children have lost their lives, with thousands more deprived of the most basic conditions for survival. These atrocities compel the international community to fulfill its moral and legal responsibility to protect the children of Palestine and to uphold their rights to health, education, safety, and dignity.

We call upon all stakeholders to take urgent action to protect children from all forms of exploitation and to safeguard their rights as enshrined in international instruments and conventions—particularly the rights of working children, who have been deprived of their childhood and innocence, suffered physical and psychological harm, and been denied access to education, healthy development, and a life of dignity and justice.

Let us pledge today to protect childhood and to create a safe and nurturing environment in which every child has a fair chance at life. Let us renew our commitment to ending child labour and to building a world worthy of their dreams and aspirations.