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News

June 2021

  1. World Day Against Child Labour

    Global progress to end child labour has stalled

    10 June 2021

    Global progress to end child labour has come to a halt for the first time in over two decades, reversing the downward trend that saw child labour fall by 94 million between 2000 and 2016. The number of children in child labour has risen to 160 million worldwide – an increase of 8.4 million children in the last four years. That means one out of every 10 children is today in child labour. To reverse this trend, the ILO and UNICEF are calling for increased spending on public services and education, decent work for adults, and stronger laws to protect children better. Find out more: www.ilo.org & www.unicef.org

April 2021

  1. UN Year: End Child Labour 2021

    Lokua Kanza: We can all act to ensure a better future for our children

    09 April 2021

    Congolese singer and songwriter, Lokua Kanza, will be one of the judges of the Music Against Child Labour Initiative’s global music competition, launched by the youth music organization Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI) in collaboration with the ILO. He says it’s time to act to ensure a better future for children, and called on musicians to raise awareness of child labour by taking part in the competition, which closes on 12 April.

  2. UN Year: End Child Labour 2021

    Juan Diego Flórez: Music offers hope to children

    07 April 2021

    The Music Against Child Labour Initiative's international song competition will be judged by celebrated opera singer, Juan Diego Flórez.

March 2021

  1. UN Year: End Child Labour 2021

    Ralph Johnson: Act now to protect our children

    18 March 2021

    The Music Against Child Labour Initiative's international song competition will be judged by Grammy Winner and founder of the band Earth, Wind & Fire, Ralph Johnson.

February 2021

  1. UN Year: End Child Labour 2021

    AR Rahman: Let's use the power of music to fight child labour

    03 February 2021

    Music transcends all barriers. The Music Against Child Labour Initiative launches an international song competition this February with AR Rahman as one of the esteemed judges.

November 2020

  1. World Children’s Day

    Kids United sings against child labour

    20 November 2020

    French youth music group, Kids United New Generation, has lent their voices to the ILO’s global campaign to end child labour. Their latest song highlights the urgent need to take action and calls on governments and organizations around the world to do more.

  2. © ILO 2022

    World Children’s Day

    Child labour is an affront to our common values

    20 November 2020

    The universal ratification of the ILO’s Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour is a positive step for Africa’s children says Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon, ILO Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa.

June 2008

  1. Article

    From entrepreneurship to education: how empowering women can help their children learn

    16 June 2008

    Women’s entrepreneurship helps reduce poverty, promote gender equality and empower women. But it has another impact – providing women with the means to improve the health of their families and finance the education of their children. Two ILO projects in Africa funded by Irish AID are showing how learning business knowledge and skills not only creates jobs, but also extends empowerment to the future, promotes decent work and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. ILO Online reports.

September 2005

  1. Press release

    Eliminating child labour in Latin America will produce major economic benefits, says new ILO study

    22 September 2005

    Eliminating child labour in Latin America within the next 20 years could generate an estimated US$340 billion in economic benefit as a result of children's improved access to universal education and better health care, according to a new study by the International Labour Office (ILO).

February 2004

  1. Press release

    New ILO study says economic benefits of eliminating child labour will vastly outweigh costs

    03 February 2004

    A new study by the International Labour Office (ILO) says the benefits of eliminating child labour will be nearly seven times greater than the costs, or an estimated US$ 5.1 trillion in the developing and transitional economies, where most child labourers are found.