Child Labour

India ratifies both fundamental ILO Conventions on Child Labour

Historic move confirms India’s “commitment to a child labour free society”. Ratification means that almost all children in the world are covered by Convention No. 182, while coverage of Convention No. 138 jumps from 60 per cent of the world’s children to 80 per cent.
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!
Our impact, their voices

See you at my playground: Child labour in gold mining

How an ILO project in the Philippines addresses the consequences of climate change and child labour, while improving working conditions in artisanal and small-scale gold mining.
© F. Vindas, G. Bolanos

Child labour in domestic work

Learn more about what is child domestic work and what does constitute child labour in domestic work?

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).}

Eliminating and preventing child labour: Checkpoints for Companies

This app allows business managers and auditors to create interactive checklists that will help them ensure a child labour-free operation. There are 18 checkpoints in total, divided into six categories. Each checkpoint provides best-practice recommendations for taking action.
1. iOS version
2. Android version

International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)

Created in 1992, IPEC has grown to become the biggest dedicated child labour programme in the world and the largest technical cooperation programme within the ILO. It is now operational in some 90 countries, benefiting millions of children worldwide.
Bureau for Workers' activities (ACTRAV)
Bureau for Employers activities (ACTEMP)

ILO