ILO, UNICEF and FAO convene high-level roundtable to accelerate action against child labour in Türkiye

Marking the World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June, the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Türkiye convened a high-level roundtable to commemorate the World Day Against Child Labour.  

Held under the auspices of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Türkiye, the event brought together representatives of government institutions, workers’ and employers’ organizations, UN agencies, civil society organizations and academia to celebrate the progress, reaffirm commitment and discuss pathways for translating commitments into coordinated and accelerated action.   

Addressing the meeting, UN Resident Coordinator Babatunde Ahonsi highlighted that “Child labour has no place in our societies. Every child has the right to learn, to be protected and to develop their full potential”. He underlined that elimination of child labour is closely linked to the broader Sustainable Development Goals. “As we approach the final years of the 2030 Agenda, we are reminded that progress towards Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 remains essential to achieving the broader vision of sustainable development”, he said.

The roundtable, titled “Accelerating Action to End Child Labour: From Commitment to Integrated and Coordinated Action,” focused on strengthening national efforts in line with the Marrakech Framework for Action adopted at the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour.

Opening the discussions, ILO Director for Türkiye Yasser Hassan highlighted key messages emerging from recent global discussions as reflected in “Marrakech Global Framework for Actions Against Child Labour”.

“Progress is possible, child labour is not inevitable, and determined action delivers results,” Hassan said, referring to the message of the latest ILO–UNICEF Global Estimates on Child Labour. He noted that while progress has been achieved, hazardous work remains one of the worst forms of child labour and continues to affect children across all age groups.

Hassan stressed that understanding child labour goes beyond determining whether children are working. “We must also consider the conditions in which children work, the risks they face, and the impact on their education, development and well-being,” he said.

He highlighted that winning the fight against child labour is possible through prevention, and that “strong social protection systems remain one of the most effective ways to prevent child labour.”

Translating commitments into action

Emphasizing the importance of implementation, Hassan underscored the need to build on international labour standards and existing national efforts. 

“At the centre of this agenda are ILO Convention No. 138 on Minimum Age, Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, instruments ratified by Türkiye and backed by enforcement and child protection systems,” he said.

He called for continued coordination among stakeholders, stronger monitoring and accountability mechanisms, improved data collection, and sustained efforts to address legal and enforcement gaps. He also highlighted the importance of promoting responsible business conduct and human rights due diligence across domestic and global supply chains.

Hassan further emphasized the indispensable role of workers’ and employers’ organizations in shaping workplaces and policies that deliver decent work and support integrated action against child labour.

Addressing emerging risks in the digital age

Referring to discussions at the Marrakech Conference, ILO Director Yasser Hassan highlighted the opportunities and risks associated with digital transformation.

“Digital transformation can boost productivity and reduce poverty, but it can also bring new risks, including technology-facilitated commercial sexual exploitation of children,” he said. “We must ensure that technology is designed and governed with children’s rights at the core.”

He also stressed the growing importance of multilateral cooperation and multi-stakeholder partnerships in tackling complex challenges that transcend borders and generations.

“Alliance 8.7, the leading global partnership to eliminate child labour and forced labour, reflects this reality,” Hassan said, concluding with a message echoed by the ILO Director-General at the Marrakech Conference: “Let us choose implementation over intention, accountability over aspiration, and accelerated action over incremental progress.”

Strengthening coordination through social dialogue, multilateral and mutli-stakeholder partnerships 

The roundtable provided a platform for senior representatives from the UNICEF and FAO who highlighted the importance of strengthening child protection and ensuring more child-sensitive social protection systems, guaranteeing education continuity and quality, tackling poverty, and support action for rural development through strengthening family farming system, promoting women’s economic empowerment,  rural employment for adults, and enhanced income opportunities in the agri-food value chains. 

The roundtable was honoured by the presence of Mr. Lutfihak Alpkan, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security, who underlined that commitment of the government to combating child labour through a holistic and comprehensive approach referring to the progress achieved by Türkiye due to sound legal and policy frameworks and coordinated implementation with the involvement of public actors at central and local level as well as the involvement of social partners. He referred to relevant policy documents including the National Employment Strategy 2025-2028, which prioritizes green and digital transformation, skill matching, inclusive employment, sustainable job creation and rural development. 

Senior representatives of Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, other public institutions alongside senior representatives of workers’ and employers’ organizations, TÜRK-İŞ HAK-İŞ, DİSK, TİSK and TESK who contributed to the discussions by reaffirming their commitment to tripartite dialogue for policy making and implementation as well as for collective and coordinated action for strengthened prevention, protection and remedial measures. 

The event was participated by EU Delegation in Türkiye as well as by representatives of ILO development partners from CAOBISCO and FERRERO.

The event concluded with participants raising the red card to child labour, demonstrating their collective support for the ILO’s 2026 campaign to accelerate action towards the elimination of child labour.