Thematic forum, Thursday, 13th June 2019, 10:00-12:40

TOGETHER for a brighter future without child labour

Celebrating the World Day Against Child Labour 2019, we look back at a century of struggle and forward to future challenges and opportunities. The thematic forum will focus on the major transformations being experienced in the world of work, whether the result of technology, environmental or demographic, and what this means for the youngest in society. Given the proven policy areas for combatting child labour, the discussion will also focus on accelerating action towards SDG Target 8.7, entailing “the ratification and implementation of fundamental ILO labour standards and compliance in law and practice.” It will be followed by a music event providing testimony to children and young people’s role in the campaign against child labour.

Highlights from the forum


  1. Moderator

    Ms Conny Czymoch

    Ms Conny Czymoch is an independent international moderator and journalist. She has been engaged in conference moderation for the European Union, the OECD, ILO, German ministries, blue chip corporations, associations and federations, and non-profit organisations for more than two decades covering a host of global themes. For fourteen years until 2011, she worked as anchorwoman for the German political television channel Phoenix. Before that, she was a reporter and moderator for Deutsche Welle tv, Deutschlandfunk, WDR, and RTHK (Radio Television Hong Kong). Conny worked on many aspects of human rights issues – for the International Labour Organisation, ILO, for UNHCR, for UN Women. For the ILO in particular, she worked in 2017 for the “Alliance 8.7”, as well as several times for their World Day against Child Labour in Geneva.

Keynote address

  1. Mr Kumaran Shanmugam Naidoo

    Secretary-General, Amnesty International

    Mr Naidoo is the Secretary General of Amnesty International. A life-long social justice campaigner hailing from South Africa, Mr Naidoo was born in Durban in 1965, his first taste of activism came at age 15 when he organised and took part in an anti-apartheid protest that saw him expelled from his school. Kumi’s most recent role has been as a co-founder and interim chair of the pan-African organization, Africans Rising for justice, peace and dignity. Kumi has held multiple leadership roles, including Executive Director of Greenpeace.

Panel discussion: Accelerating action against child labour

  1. Ms Juneia Martins Batista

    Women’s Secretary, Single Confederation of Workers CUT, Brazil

    With a long history in union and feminist movements, Ms Batista is a social worker and municipal servant of the São Paulo City Hall. She served as the Director of the Municipal Union of SP and as the Secretary of Health of the Worker of CUT. In 2015, she became the Women's Secretary of CUT. Ms Batista is also a member of the PSI Global Executive Board, a global union representing 20 million workers.

  2. Dr Assefa Bequele

    Founder and former Executive Director, African Child Policy Forum

    Dr Assefa Bequele is the Founder and former Executive Director of The African Child Policy Forum (ACPF). He is a Distinguished Fellow of ACPF. He has long years of service in the United Nations system (ILO, Geneva, Asia and Africa). He has devoted most of his professional life to the promotion of the rights and welfare of children, especially the progressive elimination of child labour. He was responsible for many years for the design, development and management of the ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) – the world’s premier technical programme on child labour – and the development of the ILO’s Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).

  3. Ms Sue Longley

    General Secretary, International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers' Association

    Sue Longley is the General Secretary of the IUF, the global trade union federation representing worker throughout the food chain. She joined the IUF is 1994 as the international officer for agriculture and plantations and has worked extensively on elimination of child labour agriculture in particular representing the IUF in the International Partnership for cooperation on child labour in agriculture. On several occasions she has been secretary to the workers’ group in ILO meetings on rural workers.

  4. Ms Jacqueline Mugo

    Executive Director, Federation of Kenya Employers

    Mrs Jacqueline Mugo is the Executive Director of the Federation of Kenya Employers. A lawyer by profession, she is a titular board member of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization and a member of the Management Board of the International Organisation of Employers. She is the Secretary-General of Business Africa and the first and immediate past Chairperson of the East African Employers’ Organization. Mrs Mugo has represented Kenyan and African employers on various forums including the African Union and the ACP-EU Follow- up Committee on Economic Partnership Agreements and the Joint EU-Africa Parliamentary Assembly.

  5. Ms Molly Namirembe

    Youth advocate and SCREAM (Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, the Arts and the Media) trainer, Uganda

    Ms Molly Namirembe holds a Bachelor's Degree in Social Work and Social Administration from Makerere University.  Following her passion for working with young people, Molly started volunteering with Somero Uganda in 2015. Molly became permanently employed by Somero Uganda in 2016 as Health Programs Coordinator; she now holds the position of Child Protection Officer.

  6. Ms Tanzila Narbaeva

    Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan

    Tanzila Narbaeva is the Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan and Chair of the Women’s Committee of Uzbekistan. She leads the Interdepartmental Commission for the Implementation of ILO Conventions, and also coordinated the activities of the government to eliminate child and forced labor in Uzbekistan.

  7. Ms Phyllis Kong Wai Yue

    Human Rights and Responsible Sourcing Specialist, Ferrero

    Phyllis Kong is a Human Rights and Responsible Sourcing Specialist in Ferrero. Her work focuses mainly on two key areas in managing the development and implementation of the Supplier Sustainability Programme and Human Rights Due Diligence Programme. She represents Ferrero in various associations including AIM-Progress, ILO Child Labour Platform, etc. In 2017, she joined the leadership team of AIM-Progress and co-leads its Human Rights Work Stream. She is also a One Young World Ambassador since 2017.  Prior to the current role, she worked in Ferrero’s CSR Office on reporting and communication.

Segment: Empowering actors for social change

  1. Ms Lina Nataly Alvarado Riaño

    Youth advocate and national Youth Leader of the “100 million for 100 million” campaign, Colombia

    Ms Lina Nataly Alvarado​ is an industrial designer with a Masters degree in industrial engineering from the National University of Colombia. She works with the university as well as in the Global Campaign, "100 million for a 100 million", led by the Foundation for a Better world. She was an Incae Business School scholar and a trustee in the Social Entrepreneurial Summit hosted by the international non-profit VIVA for her work in socially innovative projects.

  2. Ms Marah Khalil

    Youth advocate and member of the Children’s Podium, Jordan

    Ms Marah Khalil is a youth advocate. She was elected to participate with The Greater Amman Municipality's initiative: "The Children Municipal Council", which aims to involve children in the process of designing and implementing child protection and development programmes. She took part in a number of child protection campaigns - "We Want to Stay in School" and "My Story" - in co-operation with ILO to advocate against child labour and to give a voice to vulnerable children.

  3. Mr Benoît Machuel

    General Secretary, International Federation of Musicians

    Mr Machuel has been General Secretary of the International Federation of Musicians since September 2002. Before that, he developed a career as a professional musician for twenty years, both as a cellist and a gambist in various French symphony opera orchestras and musical ensembles. He took part as such in a number of recordings and tours in France and abroad .He also worked as Artistic Director for French CD labels dedicated to classical and contemporary music.

  4. Mr Anand Singh

    Chief Regional Director, Asia-Pacific, Education International

    Mr Anand Singh has been working as Chief Regional Coordinator of Education International Asia Pacific (EIAP) Region since November 2018 and directs the work of EI in the region. He joined EI in 2015 as the Regional Coordinator and was responsible for EI’s programs and activities aimed at strengthening of teachers trade unions, promotion of free quality public education and professional development of teachers. Mr Anand Singh did his M. Phil in History and taught undergraduate students at Delhi University for six years prior to joining Education International.

  5. Mr Blasko Smilevski

    Executive Director, JM International

    Secretary-General of JM International since October 2008. Currently a board member of the Euro-Arab Youth Music Center, Music Crossroads International, and the World Youth Choir Foundation. He was also a board member of Culture Action Europe and the International Music Council (2009-2011), Chairman of the Central European Initiative Youth Committee, member of the Stability Pact Youth Working Group and the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) of the Council of Europe (2001- 2003). Mr Blasko was also the Director of the World Bank Macedonia Children & Youth Development Project (2001-2006) and World Bank Youth Development consultant (ECA region) in post-conflict countries (2002-2009).

  6. Ms Anousheh Karvar

    G7/G20 Sherpa (Labour & Employment) of France representing the G7 Presidency

    Ms Anousheh Karvar is the French Government representative to the International Labour Organization Governing Body and the Labour and Employment Task Officer to G7-G20. In 2012, she joined the Genaral Inspectorate for Social Affairs (the French Government audit, evaluation and inspection office for health, social security, social cohesion, employment and labour policies and organisations.) as a Senior Officer; and was then appointed as the Head of Labour and Employment Section of the office. She was formerly also the Deputy Director of the Minister of Labour’s cabinet (2016 to 2017), and Counsellor to the President of the Parliament in charge of social and territorial cohesion policies (2017 to 2018).

Further Information

  1. World Day Against Child Labour - High-Level Thematic Session

    TOGETHER for a brighter future without child labour