A Joint Statement on the Occasion of the
World Day Against Child Labour
June 12, 2024
On the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour, adopted by the United Nations (UN) in 2002 to mark the 12th of June every year, the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States (LAS), the Arab Labour Organization (ALO) and the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD) have issued the following joint statement:
The World Day Against Child Labour was launched on the 12th of June of each year as a UN occasion to shed light on this issue, and to call for more efforts and immediate and effective measures to reduce and ultimately eliminate child labour. Today, as we celebrate this occasion in 2024, we, the Partners, reaffirm our full commitment and developmental mission to protect and promote the rights of children in the Arab region, particularly those engaged in child labour, to highlight the issue to decision makers and stakeholders to exert more efforts and urge them to take immediate and effective measures to reduce and eliminate child labour.
On this occasion, we recall global estimations that indicate a significant and dangerous increase in the number of working children, which is the first increase in two decades, as approximately 160 million children worldwide are involved in child Labour, most of whom are in the age group between 5-11 years, with a noticeable increase in the number of children engaged in hazardous works that harm their health, development, safety or morals.
We also note on this occasion the seriousness of the negative repercussions of the increase in the number of working children emphasized by international reports on our Arab region, especially in light of the grave challenges it faces, starting with the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change that has become a crisis in children's rights, and the expansion of conflicts and armed conflicts in a number of Arab countries, as well as the economic, social and educational challenges, all of which have negatively affected the development path and efforts to combat poverty. Moreover, the Second Arab Multidimensional Poverty Report for 2023 indicates that child poverty remains prevalent, affecting a quarter of children in the six Arab middle-income countries towards the end of the 2010s, and over 20 million children in these countries are deprived of their well-being dimensions, especially in the areas of health, nutrition and education.
As for the crimes committed against childhood and humanity in the Gaza Strip, which violates both children's rights and human rights, these atrocities are a stain on the international community and human rights organizations. In the Gaza Strip, UNICEF announced that about 13,500 children have been “killed” to date, and nearly 1. 9 million people, half of whom are children, lack adequate access to water, food, fuel and medicine. Additionally, children's homes have been destroyed and families separated, foretelling a grim reality and deteriorating conditions for Gaza's children. This situation will inevitably drive them into the labour market, exposing them to numerous risks as they struggle to provide for themselves and their families.
Recognizing the gravity of this issue on the rights and future of our children, and in continuation of our joint efforts in this field, we launched a Study on “Child Labour in the Arab Region” in 2019. We have also addressed various related topics including organizing the Arab Seminar on “Child Labour and the COVID-19 Pandemic” in 2021, the Regional Workshop entitled “Child Labour in the Arab Region and Climate Changes“ in 2022 and the Regional Seminar on “The Impact of Climate Changes on Child Labour in the Arab Region” held in the framework of the COP 28 in Dubai during 2023. Moving forward, we are committed to continuing our collaborative efforts, by organizing a Workshop on “The Impact of Current Economic Conditions on Child Labour in the Arab Countries” in 2024. The Workshop seeks to discuss, monitor and analyze the various aspects related to the issue of child labour, including the economic aspect that constitutes a barrier to eliminating this growing issue.
Despite our exerted efforts as Partners in this area, we call on Arab countries to work towards providing means of protection and social justice for all, including children, as well as providing quality education and ensuring that all children return to school, promoting decent work for adults to prevent families from resorting to child labour to supplement their income, along with eliminating harmful norms and gender discrimination that affect child labour. Ensuring the protection of the rights of our children and achieving sustainable development goals will help create a better, more secure, peaceful and sustainable future for them.
By protecting children today to ensure a bright future for tomorrow's youth.
