Morocco to host Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, 11–13 February 2026

Momentum builds for the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour

The Sixth Global Conference, to be hosted by the Government of Morocco, will convene policymakers and practitioners from governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, civil society, regional and international organizations, the private sector, and academia. Participants will share experiences, identify solutions, and agree on urgent, concrete actions to eliminate child labour globally.

Building on Durban: Learning from 25 years of global action

The Conference will build on the outcomes of previous Global Conferences: Oslo (1997), The Hague (2010), Brasilia (2013), Buenos Aires (2017), and Durban (2022), and will be guided by the six priority areas of the Durban Call to Action.

This Call urges “immediate, intensified, gender-responsive, well-coordinated, multisectoral, multi-stakeholder, rights-based action” to end child labour and forced labour. Participating countries committed to tracking progress and presenting their achievements at the Conference.

Children belong in school, not in labour. Parents must themselves be supported and have access to decent work so that they can afford to ensure that their children are in classrooms.

Gilbert F. Houngbo, ILO Director-General.

Why now: Progress, persistence and the policy path forward

This Sixth Global Conference takes place at a critical time. Today, 138 million children still in child labour, including around 54 million in hazardous work. The international community has not met Target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which calls for the elimination of child labour in all its forms by 2025. Progress must be urgently accelerated. It is crucial to consolidate recent achievements, scaling-up efforts, strengthen policy coherence, and increase resources at both national and international levels.

After a worrying increase between 2016 and 2020, the ILO-UNICEF 2024 Global Estimates show renewed progress since 2020, with a reduction of more than 20 million children in child labour. However, child labour remains concentrated in specific regions and sectors, particularly in agriculture, which accounts for 61 per cent globally. Millions of children continue to work in conditions that jeopardize their health, safety, or development.

Sustained financing, universal social protection, quality education for all and decent work for adults are essential to ending child labour.

“Children belong in school, not in labour. Parents must themselves be supported and have access to decent work so that they can afford to ensure that their children are in classrooms,” said ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo, upon the release of the 2024 global estimates. His words underscore the inseparable link between eliminating child labour and advancing decent work.

What to expect in Morocco

Building on the outcomes of previous Global Conferences and guided by the Durban Call to Action, the Sixth Global Conference will provide a platform for dialogue and exchange, fostering the sharing of innovative and effective solutions, identifying persistent challenges and defining urgent and concrete measures to accelerate the elimination of child labour worldwide.

Through round tables, high-level discussions and interactive sessions, participants will seek to generate real impact in the lives of children currently affected, while laying the groundwork for sustained and coordinated action beyond 2030.

Further information

Details regarding registration will be made available shortly.

We look forward to welcoming participants in Morocco at the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour.