The United States Department of State has reaffirmed its commitment to combating child labor globally on World Day Against Child Labour.
In a press statement, Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller highlighted the urgent need to protect children from hazardous work and criminal exploitation.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), an alarming 11% of the world’s children are engaged in work that poses risks to their health, development, and education. This includes work that is excessively demanding or dangerous.
The US government is taking a multi-faceted approach to address this issue. US embassies worldwide contribute to the preparation of key reports, including the Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labour and the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor.
These reports serve as critical tools in identifying and combating child labor practices.
Miller emphasized that ending child labor requires a comprehensive strategy that includes empowering adult workers and their families. The Biden administration has reinforced this commitment through a Presidential Memorandum on Advancing Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labor Standards Globally.
US diplomats are actively collaborating with governments, workers, employers, and labor organizations to promote high labor standards, amplify workers’ voices in decision-making processes, and enforce regulations against unfair labor practices, including forced labor and denial of organizing rights.
The State Department views these efforts to support adult workers as crucial in the fight against child labor, recognizing that improving working conditions and rights for adults can reduce the economic pressures that often drive child labor.
As the world observes this day, the United States reiterates its dedication to creating a future where no child is subjected to exploitative or hazardous labor conditions.
