TOKYO (ILO News) - Ms Yoko Oginome, a renowned Japanese singer-songwriter, will collaborate with the ILO for the advocacy campaign on decent work issues through the ILO's ArtWorks programme with a focus on child labour. As part of activities planned under the collaborative agreement signed by the artist and the ILO Office for Japan today, she will contribute a song on child labour under the Global Music against Child Labour Initiative.

ILO calls on musicians worldwide to dedicate a concert or song to the struggle against child labour through the Music Against Child Labour Initiative. By seizing the opportunity that the 2021 is the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour to raise awareness among the Japanese people on the challenges facing the world of work, particularly on the issue of child labour, the ILO Office for Japan has contacted and requested Ms Oginome, whose father had worked with the ILO, to assist in the office's advocacy campaign through music.

"I am very happy that my past relationship with the ILO has brought this type of collaboration so that I can now work with the ILO. I have been watching my father working with issues on world of work since my childhood. Now that I have become mother myself, I am seriously concerned about the new estimates which show that globally 160 million children are engaged in child labour. I hope my work through music could help to raise awareness on this issue among as many people as possible," said Ms Oginome.

She will collaborate with the ILO through ArtWorks programme, which brings together artists to raise awareness and advocate for world of work issues. Main activities planned include i) production of a song and its music videos to raise public awareness on the isues of child labour and decent work; ii) approaching different media to promote the issues of child labour and decent work; and iii) organizing related events in collaboration with various partners.

Around 100 personalities from the sporting and entertainment worlds including Mr Pharrell Williams, singer-songwriter, US, Mr Oliver Stone, Director, US, and Mr Ken Watanabe, Japanese actor, have supported ILO's campaigns and initiatives through the ArtWorks programme.

"While the United Nations has set the target to end child labour by 2025, it is concerned that the number is rather increasing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ILO Office for Japan is planning various activities to support achievement of this target through promotion, awareness raising and other activities linking with the events planned for next year including the Fifth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour and the Eighth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD8) to be hosted by the governments of South Africa and the Republic of Tunisia respectively. I am looking forward to collaborating with Ms Oginome on these occasions," said Mr Shinichi Takasaki, Director, ILO Office for Japan.

Decent work is defined as productive work for women and men in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. The ILO is committed to advance the goals of universal peace and social justice through promotion of decent work for all.

UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. The importance of decent work in achieving sustainable development is highlighted by Goal 8 which aims to "promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all". Its target 8.7 asks Member States to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including the recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 to end child labour in all its forms. UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to designate 2021 as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour to urge governments to do what is necessary to achieve Target 8.7.