UN child labour targets still not met

UNICEF/Patrick Brown, Children work at a mine in South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

In 2015, the United Nations and world leaders set a target to end child labour by 2025. But the new Child Labour Report, released Wednesday by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF, shows that 138 million children, including 54 million in hazardous work, are still working. Though this marks a decline of 12 million since 2020 and over 100 million since 2000, progress remains too slow.

“Findings offer hope … but we must not overlook how far we have to go,” said ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo. UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell added, “Far too many children continue to toil in mines, factories or fields, often doing hazardous work to survive.”

ILO child labor expert Benjamin Smith emphasizes that the term does not describe light chores, but “work that is oftentimes hazardous.” Thirteen-year-old Honorine in Benin spends 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in a gravel quarry, paid per bucket. She hopes to become a hairdresser someday, but her labor hinders access to schooling and traps her in poverty.

The report highlights that child labor often follows generational lines, as poverty forces children into the workforce rather than into education.

To truly end child labor, ILO and UNICEF urge integrated policy solutions encompassing education, social protection, economic opportunity, and worker rights. “Upholding parents’ rights … is key,” says Smith, since poverty and adult working conditions are root causes.

The report notes that while all regions have seen improvements, Sub-Saharan Africa still represents two-thirds of child labor worldwide, underscoring the urgent need for country-specific measures.