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Introduction
A review of child labour in Africa suggests that child labour has increased in many countries and, given current trends, the potential number of child workers is projected to increase over the next ten to fifteen years. Africa could be faced with roughly 100 million child labourers in the year 2015.

To prevent this potentially bleak picture from being realized, governments, civil society and the international community need to mobilize their knowledge and resources. Important first steps are awareness and the will to act. There is growing evidence that the people and governments of Africa are increasingly aware of the problem and willing to act. This Meeting is one demonstration of that. That the well-being of African children is considered paramount is also embodied in the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, which among others, calls for the protection of children from economic exploitation, hazardous work and work which interferes with the child's physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

Box 1 African nations call for action against child labour The Preamble of the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child states that "the child occupies a unique and privileged position in the African society". It also notes "with concern that the situation of most African children remains critical due to the unique factors of their socio-economic, cultural, traditional and developmental circumstances". Furthermore, it states that "the child, due to the needs of his/[her] physical and mental development requires particular care." Protection from child labour is one important area in which this care may be provided. The "Consensus of Arusha", adopted by the OAU Labour and Social Commission in April 1997, also calls for action in the following areas to prevent and combat child labour: * Normative and legal protection and implementation; * National programmes of action for poverty reduction; * Political, cultural and religious factors of exploitation; * Broad social alliance; * Inter-ministerial, inter-sectoral and inter-agency coordination and cooperation.

Recent meetings in the African region also demonstrate the growing recognition of the child labour problem and a commitment to eradicating child labour in Africa. For example, the OAU Seminar on the Protection of the Child and the Elimination and Abolition of Child Labour in Africa, held in Arusha, the United Republic of Tanzania in March/April 1997, adopted the "Consensus of Arusha" which contained recommendations for eliminating child labour. The recommendations were endorsed by the OAU Labour and Social Commission and by the African Heads of State.

While this interest is impressive, there is also a level of denial about the real extent of child labour in Africa due to a dearly held belief that the African tradition prizes and protects children and thus Africa is not as susceptible to the much-publicized problems of Asia and Latin America. The truth remains, however, that many African children are found in extremely hazardous work. The reality of this situation must be recognized and the loving and protective attitude toward children needs to be marshalled to attack the exploitation of children in child labour.

How can this be done? This, of course, is the challenge. An increasing number of African countries are participating in or carrying out preparatory activities under the ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC). Some governments have adopted national policies and programmes for the elimination of child labour, while others are beginning the process of documenting the nature and extent of the problem. Direct action is also being taken to assist child labourers.

This Meeting affords the opportunity to discuss further action in a regional forum. The specific purposes of this Meeting are to provide for an exchange of information and experience on child labour, and strategies to prevent and eliminate child labour, especially its most extreme forms, and to discuss the ratification and implementation of international labour standards. Since the programme for the Meeting provides for technical presentations and in depth discussions, the aim of this paper is to introduce the subject of child labour in its broad context, highlight the problem of child labour in Africa, and illustrate some of the actions being undertaken - in particular those to eliminate the intolerable aspects of child labour.1

1 For a recent overview of national law and practice on child labour, see ILO: Child labour: Targeting the intolerable. Report VI(1) International Labour Conference, 86th Session, 1998 (Geneva, 1996).