International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC)

The ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) was created in 1992 with the overall goal of progressively eliminating child labour, which was to be achieved by strengthening the capacity of countries to address the problem and promoting a worldwide movement to combat child labour. IPEC had operations in 88 countries, with an annual expenditure on technical cooperation projects that exceeded US$61 million in 2008. It was the largest programme of its kind globally and the biggest single operational programme of the ILO.

The number and range of IPEC’s partners expanded over the years to include employers’ and workers’ organizations, other international and government agencies, private businesses, community-based organizations, NGOs, the media, parliamentarians, the judiciary, universities, religious groups, and, of course, children and their families.

IPEC's work to eliminate child labour was an important facet of the ILO's Decent Work Agenda. Child labour not only prevented children from acquiring the skills and education they needed for a better future, but also perpetuated poverty and affected national economies through losses in competitiveness, productivity, and potential income. Withdrawing children from child labour, providing them with education, and assisting their families with training and employment opportunities contributed directly to creating decent work for adults.

While the goal of IPEC was the prevention and elimination of all forms of child labour, the priority targets for immediate action were the worst forms of child labour, which were defined in the ILO Convention on the worst forms of child labour, 1999 (No. 182).

In 2015, the International Labour Organization (ILO) introduced the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour and Forced Labour (IPEC+) Global Flagship Programme. This initiative merged the efforts of IPEC and the Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour (SAP/FL) to create a unified and powerful force dedicated to eradicating child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking.