GLOBAL DAY AGAINST CHILD LABOUR EXPOSES MILLIONS OF CHILDREN STILL TRAPPED IN WORK

As the world marked World Day Against Child Labour on June 12, international organizations issued a stark warning: global efforts to eradicate child labor are stalling—and in some regions, reversing.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF jointly reported that an estimated 138 million children are currently engaged in child labor globally, with 54 million involved in hazardous work that poses immediate risks to their health, safety, or moral development. The 2025 theme, “Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: let’s speed up efforts,” reflects both hope and urgency.
Sub-Saharan Africa remains the region with the highest prevalence, with nearly one in five children working. Conflict zones, food insecurity, and economic instability—exacerbated by climate change and post-pandemic shocks—are driving vulnerable families to rely on child labor for survival. In South Asia and parts of Latin America, informal labor sectors and domestic work remain poorly regulated, leaving millions of children invisible to labor inspections.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a statement released by his office, said, “No child should ever be robbed of their future. We must commit not just to condemning child labor, but to actively dismantling the conditions that make it seem necessary.”
The ILO called on all countries to redouble efforts toward Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8.7, which commits to ending child labor in all its forms by 2025. With that deadline only months away, experts fear that the target will be missed without emergency funding, legislative reform, and coordinated global action.
Advocacy groups organized marches, school events, and digital campaigns across cities like Nairobi, Dhaka, and Lima. Some nations, including Ghana and Indonesia, used the occasion to announce updated national child protection plans. However, watchdog groups say many such promises lack enforcement teeth.
As the world grapples with inflation, war, and climate migration, child rights advocates warn that unless governments prioritize youth welfare over austerity or geopolitics, generations of children will be forced to pay the price with their futures.