Child Labour

The Arab States have witnessed a unprecedented wave of armed conflicts and population displacement in recent years, which has coincided with an increase in child labour among refugees, the internally displaced and vulnerable host populations across the region. Children, both girls and boys, are found working in rural and urban areas, in all sectors, industry, agriculture and services, and often in the most hazardous jobs. All Arab States have ratified the two most important ILO conventions related to child labour: the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) and the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) and have committed to combatting child labour. With ILO support, countries around the region are developing national action plans to prevent and address child labour, improving data on the subject, and implementing programmes to reduce the incidence of child labour, particularly in its worst forms. See more…