Africa tripartite regional consultation on child labour

Child labour remains a critical challenge in Africa. According to the 2024 Global Estimates of Child Labour, published by the ILO and UNICEF, nearly 138 million children globally are engaged in child labour, with 54 million in hazardous work. Africa accounts for approximately 94.5 million of these children ̶ more than two-thirds of the global total.

In light of this, the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, to be hosted by the Government of Morocco in 2026, offers a pivotal opportunity to take stock of progress, renew commitments, and strengthen global efforts. The ILO Governing Body has endorsed the preparatory process and mandated the convening of regional tripartite consultations across Africa, the Americas, the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, and Europe and Central Asia (see GB.353/POL/4, paragraphs 12–17). These consultations will engage representatives of governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations to ensure that regional priorities and perspectives are fully reflected in the global dialogue.

Purposes

Organized by the ILO Regional Office for Africa in collaboration with the International Training Centre of the ILO (ITC-ILO), the Africa Regional Tripartite Consultation will convene representatives from governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations to engage in inclusive, evidence-based dialogue.

The consultation aims to:

• Analyse global and regional trends in child labour using the latest global estimates to understand Africa’s specific challenges and opportunities.
• Strengthen regional strategies by identifying data-driven, context-sensitive, and sector-specific measures to accelerate progress.
• Ensure Africa’s voice shapes the global agenda, feeding regional priorities into the Sixth Global Conference to reinforce commitments, coherence, and social justice.

This process will foster collective reflection and contribute to a consolidated regional position that captures Africa’s priorities in the global campaign against child labour.

Composition

The consultation will bring together:

• Governments: Representatives from Ministries of Labour and other relevant ministerial departments for the fight against child labour (agriculture, education, social protection, among others).
• Employers: Regional and national-level representatives from employers’ organizations.
• Workers: Regional and national-level representatives from workers’ organizations.

Tripartite participation will be ensured throughout the consultation, with each group contributing to the discussions and outcomes. Additional stakeholders may include civil society organizations, regional institutions, and UN agencies.

Format and engagement

The consultation will feature:

• Biweekly webinars engaging government, employers’ and workers’ representatives, facilitated by ILO and ITC-ILO experts.
• Online discussion forums.
• A repository of documentation, good practices, and policy materials.

All resources will be hosted on the ITC-ILO eCampus learning platform.

The sessions will be conducted in English and French, with simultaneous interpretation, and supported by AI-assisted interpretation in Arabic and Portuguese to ensure inclusivity.

Outcomes

The consultation will culminate in a consolidated document outlining Africa’s specific challenges and key priorities in eliminating child labour.

This outcome document will serve as an official contribution to the Sixth Global Conference on Child Labour.