ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - World Day Against Child Labour is being observed across the glob, including Pakistan, today (Friday), aiming to bring the attention of the whole world to the very serious and unfortunately still widespread phenomenon of exploitation of children in the workplace.
Observed every year on 12 June, the World Day Against Child Labour highlights global efforts to end child labour. The 2026 theme calls for stronger and faster action through the message: ‘Red Card to Child Labour: Fair play for children, decent work for adults’.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) introduced the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, 138 million children worldwide are still affected by child labour, with nearly 54 million exposed to hazardous work.
The United Nations (UN) defines child labour as work performed by children under the minimum legal age specified for that kind of work, or work that, because of its hazardous nature or detrimental conditions, is prohibited.
Forms of work that are beneficial to a child’s personal and social development, that do not interfere with schooling, but rather provide useful experience and skills, may be encouraged. Child labour is driven by poverty, paired with a lack of access to decent work for adults and young people, weak social protection and a lack of free, high-quality public education.
Freedom from child labour is a fundamental human right, enshrined in the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998), the ILO Conventions and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989). ILO Convention No 138 on the minimum age, adopted in 1973, has been ratified by 177 countries, including all EU Member States.
This key document lays down standards for the minimum age for employment. ILO Convention No 182 on the worst forms of child labour, adopted in 1999, has been ratified by 187 countries, including all EU Member States. It calls on members to take measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency.
The World day against child labour serves to remind us that it is everyone’s concern to put an end to the exploitation of children.