The Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Gilbert Houngbo, praised Morocco’s leading role in combating child labor, commending the Kingdom’s commitment and fruitful partnership with international institutions.
This acknowledgment came during the opening session of the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, held in Marrakech from February 11 to 13, where Houngbo provided an overview of the global situation, offering both hopeful signs and warnings of new challenges.
The UN official noted that since 2020, the world has succeeded in reducing the number of working children by nearly one-third, with a significant decline in hazardous work. However, he emphasized that this progress is “still insufficient,” warning that Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, which aims for the complete elimination of child labor by 2025, remains out of reach.
He stressed that the persistence of this phenomenon not only violates rights but also undermines economic productivity and entrenches poverty and social inequality, depriving countries of the potential of their human capital.
Houngbo outlined a roadmap to accelerate achievements, focusing on prevention and investing in free, quality primary education, along with decent working conditions for teachers and robust school infrastructures. He called for effective social protection systems for families to ensure that children, especially girls, remain in school rather than in factories and fields.
He also addressed the new challenges posed by global transformations, noting that climate change increases household vulnerability, as floods and droughts force millions to migrate, heightening the risks of child labor.
He warned that digital transformation is a “double-edged sword,” highlighting the need for a strict framework to protect children’s rights from digital exploitation, despite the technological capabilities for monitoring and oversight.
In conclusion, Houngbo called for “coordinated action” and genuine partnership among governments, unions, employers, and civil society under the umbrella of the Global Alliance for Social Justice to achieve the ultimate goal of eliminating child labor.
