National consultation workshop on “Enhancing the Child labour inspection system” held in Mongolia on World Day against Child labour

MONGOLIA (ILO News) – According to the Child Labour Survey 2021-2022 conducted by the National Statistics Office of Mongolia and the ILO, child labour still remains a pressing issue in the country. The survey results show that an estimated 138,000 children, or 16.3 per cent of those aged 5 to 17, are engaged in child labour. Alarmingly, nearly half of these children are involved in hazardous work such as mining, herding, and waste collection—with over 60 per cent being boys.

Globally, 2024 Global Estimates of Child Labour: Trends and the Road Forward report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF shows that child labour continues to affect nearly 138 million children, with 54 million engaged in hazardous work.

When comparing these global statistics to Mongolia’s population, the prevalence of child labour in Mongolia remains significantly high, underscoring the urgent need to intensify national efforts and strengthen prevention, inspection and monitoring systems.

During the workshop, national stakeholders discussed Mongolia’s current legal and institutional context on child labour. Discussions focused on the implementation of the Labour law and ILO Conventions Nos 138 and 182, as well as findings from the ILO–UNICEF global report. The Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Protection presented the outcomes of recent labour inspection data, and the identification and resolution of cases involving the worst forms of child labour under relevant articles of the Criminal Code and the Law on Infringements.

The national workshop also addressed the enforcement of the 2017 Regulation on Monitoring the Cross-border movement of children, alongside discussions on school dropout trends among working children and the effectiveness of child protection services provided to affected children and their families. The discussions and technical presentations highlighted the need for integrated, multi-sectoral efforts to identify, monitor and prevent child labour through data-driven policymaking to ensure timely targeted interventions.

“The fight against child labour in Mongolia has spanned nearly three decades. Progress is clear—but more needs to be done and done differently. This issue must be embedded in broader national strategies—in education, child protection, decent work, and social policy. Ending child labour requires the commitment of everyone: government, workers, employers, families, and international partners.” said Director of the ILO Country Office for China and Mongolia, Chang-Hee Lee.

The national workshop was organized by the EU-funded ILO Trade for Decent Work (T4DW) Project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Protection and the US-funded Child Protection Compact Project.

For more information, please contact:

Javzandulam Myagmar, National Project Coordinator, [email protected]