World Day Against Child Labour 2025 Observed Globally

The World Day Against Child Labour is being observed today (Thursday) across the globe, including in Pakistan, with a renewed call for accelerated efforts to eliminate child labour in all its forms. This year’s theme, “Progress is clear, but there’s more to do: let’s speed up efforts!”, highlights the need to intensify global action to protect children from exploitation.

Marked annually on June 12, the day draws attention to the scale of child labour worldwide and the urgent need for coordinated efforts by governments, employers, workers’ organisations, civil society, and individuals to end the practice.

On this occasion, a joint report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF, titled “Child Labour: Global Estimates 2024, Trends and the Road Forward”, revealed that an estimated 138 million children were involved in child labour in 2024. Of these, about 54 million were engaged in hazardous work that poses serious risks to their physical and mental development.

While the figures reflect some progress—over 22 million fewer children are in child labour compared to 2020—they also underscore the long road ahead. Experts stress that sustainable change requires strengthening social protection bulwarks, expanding access to education, and ensuring decent work favours for parents, especially in low-income communities.