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…

Facts & Figures

Global estimates indicate that about 3 percent of all children in the Arab States region are involved in child labour – with the poorest countries showing highest rates of child employment.
Half of these children (1.5 percent) are in hazardous work. Of the 1.2 million children in child labour in the Arab States, 616,000 are in hazardous work. In terms of prevalence of child labour and children in hazardous work, both figures are the lowest in the world.
60 percent of all child labour in the region – that is 700,000 boys and girls – work in agriculture. This includes subsistence and commercial farming, as well as livestock herding; most is unpaid and takes place within the family unit.
Of the remaining children in work, 318,000 (27 percent) are in the services sector and 144,000 (13 percent) are found in industry.
Child labourers are generally older than those in other parts of the world – 38 percent of those in child labour are 5-11 years old, 32 percent are 12-15 years old, and 30 percent are between 15 and 17 years old.

Source: ILO 2017 Global Estimates of Modern Slavery and Child Labour

Projects

With ILO Support

Jordan
- Adopted a National Framework on Child Labour as its national plan of action to tackle child labour throughout the country Established the National Database on Child Labour to provide up-to-date data on working children in Jordan, including Syrian refugees.
- Drafted Articles 31 to 36 of the Juvenile Justice Law No. 32. which raises the minimum age of criminal responsibility and prioritizes a rehabilitative approach to juvenile justice.
- Trained 60 members of the police, 60 labour inspectors and 40 staff members of the National Aid Fund to respond to rising child labour among Syrian refugees and host communities in Jordan.
Syria
- More than 200 children removed from child labour and its worst forms and rehabilitated through ducation, training, apprenticeships and access to livelihoods appropriate to their age.
- Some 400 children benefited from the ILO SCREAM proramme across four governorates (Damascus, Rural Damascus, Aleppo, and Homs)
- More than 500 school principals trained on methods to identify and combat child labour.
- Trained 30 labour inspectors to identify the worst forms of child labour.
Lebanon
- Developed the first National Action Plan to eliminate the worst forms of child labour in Lebanon.
- Established the first permanent working children’s advocacy platform.
- Conducted national studies on working street children and child labour in agriculture to help inform programmes to address the issues.
Yemen
- Established the technical secretariat of the National Steering Committee to Combat Child Labour.

ILO

Advancing social justice, promoting decent work

ILO is a specialized agency of the United Nations

Key resources

International Labour Standards

Statistical databases

Child Labour

Facts & Figures

Latest

Training marks a significant step forward in addressing child labour in Lebanon

Better Work Jordan Annual Report 2023 shows industry stakeholders engaging on national regulations, worker wellbeing

Focus on

Countering the Recruitment and Use of Child Soldiers in Yemen (CRUCSY)

Publications & Reports

Projects

Addressing the Worst Forms of Child Labour in The Jordanian Agriculture Sector