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The World Day Against Child Labour, which is held every year on June 12, is an International Labour Organization (ILO)-sanctioned holiday first launched in 2002 aiming to raise awareness and activism to prevent child labour, it was spurred by ratifications of ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for employment and ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labour.

The ILO, the United Nations body that regulates the world of work, launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 in order to bring attention and join efforts to fight against child labour. This day brings together governments, local authorities, civil society and international, workers and employers organizations to point out the child labour problem and define the guidelines to help child labourers. According to ILO’s data, hundreds of millions of girls and boys throughout the world are involved in work that deprives them of receiving an adequate education, health, leisure and basic freedoms, violating this way their rights. Of these children, more than half are exposed to the worst forms of child labour. These worst forms of child labour include work in hazardous environments, slavery, or other forms of forced labour, illicit activities such as drug trafficking and prostitution, as well as involvement in armed conflict.

2025 Theme: Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: let’s speed up efforts! The 2025 World Day will focus on a key milestone: the release of the 2025 global estimates and trends of child labour. This joint report by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will offer a comprehensive assessment of global progress toward the elimination of child labour. Although the detailed data are not yet available, the estimates and trends identified will guide policy debates and calls for renewed commitment and investment. On this World Day, ILO calls for full ratification of ILO Convention No. 138 on the Minimum Age and the implementation of ILO Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour.  Their effective ratification and implementation remain essential to achieving the goals set by the Durban Call to Action, which urges us to aim for for strengthened prevention, protection, and partnerships to eliminate child labour. Now is the time to make the elimination of child labour a reality.