“In 2021, we are celebrating the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor. Despite the progress made globally over the years, in 2020 160 million children were still working, and 79 million children were in child labor. dangerous work. This is a massive blow, because for the first time in 20 years, we are witnessing an upsurge in the number of child workers. Millions more are at risk of falling victim to this phenomenon. of the coronavirus pandemic and its socio-economic consequences.
The European Union applies a zero tolerance approach to child labor. The EU strategy on the rights of the child contains concrete commitments to eliminate child labor from the supply chains of EU businesses and to strengthen labor inspection systems for the purposes of monitoring and enforcement of legislation relating to child labor. The protection of children is also at the heart of the new EU strategy to combat human trafficking 2021-2025, as victims of child labor are often also victims of human trafficking. The fight against child labor also occupies an important place in the EU action plan for human rights and democracy 2020-2024.
The EU works around the world to eradicate child labor and protect children through development cooperation, political dialogue, human rights, as well as social, humanitarian and trade policies. Social protection floors and quality education are essential factors that help reduce child labor, especially during humanitarian crises. Through measures to tackle inequalities and social exclusion, we seek to help parents, families and carers out of poverty and ensure children have access to quality education. We use trade incentives, such as the Generalized System of Preferences, to cooperate with our partners in the fight against child labor.
In particular, we are addressing child labor in the garment, conflict minerals, fisheries and agriculture sectors. The project CLEAR Cotton is a concrete example of how the EU is helping to eliminate child labor from cotton, textiles and clothing value chains. Through this project, the EU has helped free over 4,000 children from child labor in Burkina Faso and Mali and reintegrate them into the education system, so that they can study and build their own future.
We must not forget that children are the first to suffer from poverty, exclusion, inequalities and conflicts. It is essential to help countries strengthen and expand their social protection systems, ensure the continuity of accessible and quality education and ensure the capacity of labor inspection services. As we fight the coronavirus pandemic, we must redouble our efforts to prevent the rollback of children’s rights. We must ensure that they are at the heart of the global recovery in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hurry up. We are committed to returning to the positive trend recorded over the past decades and to accelerating the pace of the eradication of child labor in all its forms by 2025. Children are the key to a present and to a future. a better future, and it is imperative that we can enable them to realize their full potential. “
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