On World Day Against Child Labor, the global community reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that children are not subjected to hazardous work or criminal exploitation. The International Labor Organization (ILO) estimates that eleven percent of the world’s children engage in work that is detrimental to their health and development, interferes with their education, demands excessive hours, or is inherently dangerous.
The United States has expressed a firm commitment to ending child labor globally. U.S. embassies worldwide contribute to the preparation of the "Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor" and the "List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor," while assisting other countries in addressing these issues.
Ending the worst forms of child labor requires comprehensive global action aimed at empowering adult workers and their families. This effort involves engaging with governments, workers, employers, and labor organizations—key partners in this fight. President Biden’s "Memorandum on Advancing Worker Empowerment, Rights, and High Labor Standards Globally" aims to enhance U.S. policy for protecting and promoting worker rights both domestically and internationally.
The Department of State’s diplomats collaborate with international partners to ensure high labor standards, amplify workers’ voices in decision-making processes, and enforce rules against unfair labor practices such as forced labor and denial of the right to organize. These efforts to support adult workers are considered crucial for eliminating the worst forms of child labor.
