Urgent steps needed to combat child labour as more children are denied basic rights and pushed to work that deprives them of their childhood, potential and dignity following the COVID-19 crisis

HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal Al-Saud, President of the Arab Council for Childhood and also Development (ACCD) and also Committee Chair of the Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development, has asked for urgent measures to deal with the plight of over 15 million children in the Arab globe that are victims of kid labour and are denied of a normal childhood, potential and dignity.

Marking the UN's World Day Against Youngster Work on June 12, Prince Abdulaziz provided the most recent measurable sight of the area's child labour and also advised government bodies, the private sector, civil culture and also international organisations to coordinate their efforts to deal with the adverse results of the COVID-19 pandemic and its serious effects on kids. "Children are the future of the area; caring for their childhood, developing their talents and their psychological and also physical wellness, makes certain a far better future for everyone," he stated.

With children and young adults creating over half the population of the Arab states, nearly 15 percent of all children is estimated to be taken part in some kind of child labour, according to a record by the International Work Organisation. The numbers could be even higher as numerous children work in the informal sector, which is hard to measure.

Prince Abdulaziz claimed that while armed conflicts as well as quarrel had brought about the variation of family members, resulting in tens of countless children being forced out of school and forced to function also in hazardous labour, the current COVID-19 situation will better amplify the issue. "The dilemma will push lots of family members into unemployment as well as destitution putting pressure on kids. Many will certainly be forced into work in addition to being revealed to physical violence, as well as psychological as well as physical abuse."

He cautioned that to make sure that a significant section of the brand-new generation is not lost, their health has to be prioritised by increasing the efforts to curb child work in all types be it in agriculture, services or market. "Even more alarmingly, numerous of our children are being forced to participate in illegal tasks or street work and separated from families. That need to quit. We need to restore the self-respect of our children and ensure that every child in the Arab globe has accessibility to education and learning in addition to a solid support system to advertise their social, physical and mental well-being."

He emphasized the dedication of the Arab Council for Childhood as well as Development-- regionally and globally-- to implement a legal structure to prevent youngster labour, ensure financial inclusion, drive policies to offer social protection as well as decrease poverty, take immediate and also reliable measures to remove forced labour, end modern slavery, and human trafficking.

"Our goal is to ensure the prohibition and also eradication of child labour of all forms by 2025, and also to accomplish the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, as our company believe that returning kids to their rightful place at schools is key to poverty reduction and also the upliftment of communities," he added.

Prince Abdulaziz additionally emphasized the relevance of establishing impactful programmes to combat poverty, facilitate accessibility to education and healthcare, women's empowerment, through the coordinated efforts of governments, company, civil society and also individuals.

The Arab Council for Children as well as Development had joined the development of a regional study qualified 'Child Labour in Arab Countries' in partnership with the Arab League, the Arab Labour Organisation, the International Labour Organisation as well as the UN Food as well as Agriculture Organisation. The study, launched in March 2019 was taken on by the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in Beirut to be a guiding document to support the efforts of member states to eradicate youngster work.