Child labour in Asia and the Pacific: Regional technical brief

Child labour remains a major challenge in the Asia-Pacific region, despite advances in poverty reduction and education. This brief outlines current trends, progress toward global commitments, policy responses, and existing gaps across subregions and sectors. Based on these findings, it offers recommendations for an integrated approach to end child labour across the region.

This brief is intended to inform policy dialogue and guide national planning on child labour. Thus, it is targeted towards policymakers, government agencies, employers’ and workers’ organizations, civil society organizations, United Nations agencies and other relevant actors committed to ending child labour.

The brief covers 36 countries under the ILO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific: Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, the Cook Islands, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kiribati, the Republic of Korea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Malaysia, the Maldives, the Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, the Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Viet Nam.