Chair's Summary and Conclusions of the Child Labour Conference on the Elimination of the Most Intolerable Forms of Child Labour
The exploitation of children is a violation of their human rights and a gross waste of human potential. Child labour is one of the main sources of child exploitation and abuse in the world today. The Amsterdam Child Labour Conference, unanimous in its condemnation of the exploitation of children, calls for immediate action to eradicate it. The Conference urges all countries to launch a time-bound programme of action to eliminate child labour, and to immediately put an end to its most intolerable forms - slavery and slave-like practices, forced or compulsory labour, including debt bondage and serfdom, the use of children in prostitution, pornography and the drugs trade, and their employment in any type of work that is dangerous, harmful or hazardous or that interferes with their education. There must be a total prohibition of work by the very young and special protection for girls. A crime against a child anywhere must be made a crime everywhere.

The fight against child labour requires a firm expression of political will at the highest level and the designation of a responsible national authority. Concerted action is required at all levels by governments, employers' organizations and trade unions, NGOs, the representatives of working children and their families and other members of the civil society united in a coherent multi-disciplinary programme. This programme should focus on key areas such as education, enactment and enforcement of child labour legislation as well as poverty alleviation. The programme should involve the development and implementation of policies targeted at:

the immediate removal of children from the most intolerable forms of child labour as well as their rehabilitation and the provision of adequate alternatives to the children and their families;

the prevention of child labour through the universal provision of access to quality education, and to an adequate social infrastructure including systems for the provision of health care, social protection for families and enhanced opportunities for adult employment;

the creation of better awareness and understanding of the rights of children and the need for ending child labour.