Advocacy event in Addis Ababa showcases Africa’s commitment to protecting vulnerable children
31 July 2024
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, July 30, 2024 - The African Union Commission (AUC) hosted a landmark advocacy event in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, highlighting the continent's unified effort to combat child labour and address the needs of children on the move. This event, supported by the International Labour Organization (ILO) through its ACCEL Africa and 8.7 Accelerator Lab projects, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), brought together key stakeholders to discuss and reinforce commitments to safeguarding Africa's children.
The event, titled "Enhancing the Protection of Children in Vulnerable Populations: A Continental Response to Combating Child Labour and Children on the Move in Africa," aligned with the principles of Agenda 2063 and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. It emphasized Africa's ongoing mission to protect children from exploitation and hazardous work.
Representatives from the AUC, ACERWC, IOM, ILO, and UNICEF, all part of the Consortium on Children on the Move and Child Labour, shared their collaborative efforts and future. The consortium, inaugurated in April 2024, aims to address these complex issues through a unified and holistic approach.
Mr. Khumbula Ndaba, Director of the ILO Country Office for Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan, delivered a compelling speech that highlighted both progress and challenges. He remarked, “The African continent has both the largest number of child labourers and the highest proportion of children in child labour among the major world regions. There are 92.2 million children representing 21.6 percent of all children in Africa, in child labour. High prevalence of child labour in Africa is the combined result of high population growth, recurring security crises, extreme poverty, wide income disparity, natural calamities, and inadequate social protection measures, among other factors.”
He called for a comprehensive approach involving multiple stakeholders and emphasized the importance of new National Action Plans. “New National Action Plans must take a comprehensive approach, considering all factors that contribute to child labour and its underlying reasons. They must involve collaboration between multiple government ministries and integrate child labour issues into wider developmental policies and initiatives.”
The director also praised the African Union's efforts since the adoption of the 2020 Action Plan to eradicate Child Labour, Forced Labour, Human Trafficking, and Modern Slavery in Africa. “African countries have demonstrated commitment by being signatories to key international and regional treaties and conventions among other commitments.”
Participants and speakers at the event expressed a shared determination to protect Africa’s children. The event concluded with a call to action, urging all stakeholders to intensify their efforts and work together to combat child labour.
The advocacy event successfully raised awareness, fostered collaboration, and set the stage for future initiatives to combat child labour and support children on the move. The ILO, through its ACCEL Africa and 8.7 Accelerator Lab projects, remains a crucial partner in these efforts, working alongside the AUC and other international organizations to create lasting change.