Youth-led Global Call to Action to Eradicate Child Labour
As we move through 2026, the global community stands at a critical crossroads for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 8.7. The ambitious mandate – to end child labour in all its forms by 2025 – has technically passed its deadline, yet the data tells a sobering story. Recent estimates from the ILO and UNICEF indicate that approximately 138 million children remain in child labour globally, with over 54 million trapped in hazardous work.
The 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour is a major international summit organised by the International Labour Organization (ILO), scheduled to be held from February 11 to 13, 2026, in Marrakech, Morocco. The primary goal of the Conference is to bridge the gap between global commitments and actual results. The Conference will provide a platform for dialogue and exchange, fostering the sharing of innovative and effective solutions, identifying persistent challenges and defining urgent and concrete measures to accelerate the elimination of child labour worldwide.
Terre des Hommes Netherlands will be at the Conference with the delegation of youth leaders because solving child labor demands a seat at the table for those it affects most. To break the vicious cycle, we must empower young people to shape the policies that impact their lives, ensuring every intervention is locally relevant and practically effective.
These young leaders stand here as the voice of their regions, carrying the weight of a rigorous journey toward justice. To reach this global stage, they first looked inward—consulting with their peers, including child labor survivors and those in the most vulnerable communities. Through grassroots youth clubs and national forums, they dissected the root causes of exploitation to find real solutions. After uniting at the regional level to synchronize their strategies, they have developed concrete roadmaps / action plans for the eradication of child labour.
Now, they are bringing those solutions to the global stage. In collaboration with other youth representatives accompanying the co-organisers of the side event (Global March Against Child Labour, SOS Children’s Villages International, GoodWeave International) they will present a Youth- led Global Call to Action to ILO as an ‘outcome document’.
Will you join us?
Hear from Children and Youth: A Panel Discussion and Participation Session
Panel discussion with children and youth representatives from around the world:
A facilitated discussion with children and youth. Hear why young people argue that those with lived experience of child labour are critical stakeholders in shaping policy. In addition to sharing examples of child and youth action to shape policy at national and regional levels, key recommendations from young people will be shared. The audience will gain practical insight into how to meaningfully engage children in accelerating action to stop child labour.
Audience Interaction:
Using creative, digital and ‘postcard and pen’ methods, attendees will engage with young people on practical policy recommendations for accelerating action to eliminate child labour.
