UN Secretary General calls for an end to forced child labour
The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has urged governments to do more to end forced child labour and poverty among children.
In his message on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, Mr Guterres said ending extreme poverty is at the heart of the world’s efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and build a sustainable future for all.
“But success in leaving no one behind will remain elusive if we do not target the people who are farthest behind first,” he said.
Celebrated annually on October 17, this year’s was observed under the theme “Acting Together to Empower Children, their Families and Communities to End Poverty.”
Mr Guterres said that poverty is not solely an economic issue, but rather a multidimensional phenomenon that encompasses a lack of both income and the basic capabilities to live in dignity,” he said.
Challenges the world on children
According to Mr Guterres, this year’s observance focuses on “acting together to empower children, their families and communities to end poverty, as we mark the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.”
“Children are more than twice as likely to live in extreme poverty as adults. Poverty condemns many children to lifelong disadvantage and perpetuates an intergenerational transfer of deprivation. Today’s children will also live with the devastating consequences of climate change if we fail to raise ambition now,” Mr Guterres said.
He said from conflict zones to cyberspace, from forced labour to sexual exploitation, girls are at particular risk, but they are also a force for change.
“For every additional year a girl remains in school, her average income over a lifetime increases, her chances of being married early decrease, and there are clear health and education benefits for her children, making it a key factor in breaking the cycle of poverty.”
Key to ending poverty
Mr Guterres said one of the keys to ending child labour is addressing poverty in the household, from which it often stems.
“Access to quality social services must be a priority, yet today, almost two-thirds of children lack social protection coverage. Family-oriented policies are also indispensable, including flexible working arrangements, parental leave and childcare support,” he said.
“On this International Day, let us recommit to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 1 and a fair globalization that works for all children, their families and communities,” he concluded.
This year marks the 27th anniversary of the declaration by the General Assembly, in its resolution 47/196 of December 22, 1992, of 17 October as the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.
This year also marks the 32nd anniversary of the Call to Action by Father Joseph Wresinski which inspired the observance of October 17 as the world day for overcoming extreme poverty and the recognition by the United Nations.
