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The World Day Against Child Labor – June 12, 2009

The Role of Social Workers
Social workers around the world play a key role as advocates for the rights of children to be protected from child labor and also promote related rights, such as the right to education and protection from abuse and neglect. With the conventions and rights described below in mind, social workers actively advocate for local and national policy change, coordinate social services and provide emotional support for children involved in or at risk of child labor and other exploitative practices.

Background
June 12, 2009 marks the seventh annual celebration of The World Day Against Child Labor. This UN International Day recognizes the anniversary of the adoption of the UN International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention that aims to eradicate the worst forms of child labor. This year’s theme focuses on the exploitation of girls in child labor.

As described in the ILO Convention No. 182, child labor in its most extreme forms involves children being enslaved, separated from their families, exposed to serious hazards and illnesses and/or left to fend for themselves on the streets of large cities, often at a very early age. Girls, who are more often denied access to education, are disproportionately affected by the worst forms of child labor and are often exposed to extra risks and hardships.

Children are protected from child labor by a number of other international conventions, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted in 1989 and has been ratified by all countries except the US. As article 32 of the CRC states, “States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.”

Take Action

Get involved!
The United States has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. If you would like to take action in support of children’s rights, send a letter to your Congressional Representative and Senators urging that they work for passage of the Convention. Take advantage of the advocacy materials prepared by the Campaign for U.S. Ratification of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by clicking here.

UNICEF is committed to protecting children from abuse and exploitation. For more information about how UNICEF is working to combat child labor, click here and for various ways to support UNICEF and get involved, click here.

Get informed!
Click here for more information on this International Day or to get involved in advocacy efforts

Click here for more information on ILO’s program on the Elimination of Child Labor

Click here or here for more information on the Convention on the Rights of the Child

National Association of Social Workers (NASW) is the largest organization of professional social workers in the world. NASW social workers provide humanitarian assistance for communities in transition, and develop policies to protect human rights both domestically and in international settings.

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