It is an alarming fact that 70 percent of children engaged in child labour worldwide – 112 million – are working in agriculture. Their work goes beyond the limits of safety and well-being and crosses into a form of labour that can harm their health and undermine their education, perpetuating poverty and food insecurity.
Even more worrisome, child labour has increased between 2016 and 2020, with an additional four million girls and boys involved in child labour in agriculture (ILO, UNICEF 2021).
On 12 June, to mark the World Day Against Child Labour, we will discuss with global, regional and country-level partners about collective actions to reverse this alarming trend, through a focus on child labour elimination along agrifood value chains. Participants will share experiences, successful practices and concrete interventions towards the implementation of the Durban Call to Action and the achievement of SDG 8.7.
Join this technical discussion on 12 June!
Monday, 12 June
11:00-12:30 (CEST)
English-French interpretation will be available
Interprétation anglais/français sera disponible
- Welcoming remarks
Raschad Al-Khafaji
Director, FAO Liaison Office to the EU and Belgium
Lieve Verboven
Director, ILO Office for the European Union and the Benelux countries
- Video message by
Máximo Torero Cullen
FAO Chief Economist
- Setting the scene
Lauren Phillips
Deputy Director, FAO Division for Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality
Pascal Perennec
Chargé d’Affaires, EU Delegation to Mali - Technical discussion with evidence from the field
Sarah Mokri
Programme Manager of the EU Delegation to Mali
Adama Diarra
Former FAO Coordinator of CLEAR COTTON Project Mali - Global perspectives
Marjolein Vink
Coordinator Fund against Child Labour (FBK), Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO)
Beata Plonka
Policy Officer, European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA)
Kristjan Bragason
General Secretary of European federation of Agriculture, Food and Tourism Trade Unions (EFFAT)
Mátyás Szabó
Policy Officer, European Commission Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI)
Miriam Vreman
Human rights and Social Sustainability Specialist, Wageningen University & Research (WUR) - Closing remarks
Lauren Phillips
Deputy Director, FAO Division for Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality