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When this footage was shot, 20 years ago,
showing children working in India, in Colombia, in Egypt, and in Russia,
jeopardizing their health, their growth, and their education,
the countries of the world came together to fight the scourge of child labour.
At that time, they agreed to a goal that by 2016,
no more children would be subjected
to the most unacceptable forms of labour.
But just a few years from the deadline, much remains to be done.
“We all know that the number of child labourers has gone down
from 246 million to 216 million.
But still, millions of children are languishing in slavery,
sold and bought like animals.
Children living in most appalling conditions.”
Since the convention was signed, great progress has been made.
But with the global economic crisis,
efforts have been scaled back,
and that progress is now under threat.
Not long ago, Joël was sifting waste in a garbage dump.
Today, as part of a governmental programme run by an NGO,
he goes to school while earning a little money to help out his mother.
But the program that helped Joël get out of the garbage dump ground
to a halt when the funding dried up.
Corporate social responsibility is a concept
that was little known twenty years ago.
Today the leading brands are involved in the eradication of child labour
from their supply chains.
From carpets to football stitching,
from the garment industry to tobacco and cocoa,
employers are doing their part to meet the 2016 target.
Governments are taking steps to eradicate child labour…
and are aware of the deep problems that remain.
“The problem of child labour is entrenched, but it is solvable.
So to achieve our goal we must work together
to address the root causes,
including inequality,
inadequate access to education,
no work, or not enough good work for parents,
poor enforcement of labour laws, all of which perpetuate the cycle of poverty.”
There is progress to report.
As a result of international commitments and conventions,
the numbers of children in the worst forms of child labour has fallen worldwide.
But since 2005, the rate of progress has slowed considerably.
According to the International Labour Organization,
tens of millions of children are still subjected to the worst forms of labour.
Much more remains to be done
if we are to meet the target of 2016,
and the eradication of the worst forms of child labour worldwide.