Within the framework of the Sixth Global Conference on the Eradication of Child Labour, to be held in Morocco from 11 to 13 February 2026

We, working children and adolescents from Latin America, Africa and Asia, raise our voices to defend our dignity and demand full compliance with our rights to education, all round development, decent work and protection.

As representatives of our movements — MOLACNATS (Latin America), AMWCY/MAEJT (Africa) and Children: Ambassadors of Change (Asia) — we have discussed our realities, problems and aspirations in depth and present this joint declaration, whose purpose is to highlight and reaffirm the rights of working children and adolescents around the world.

This statement is addressed to international organisations that influence, design and enforce public policies, to national governments, and to all authorities responsible for legislating and guaranteeing our rights.

1. We, as International Movements of Working Children, demand that all conventions, laws, policies, guidelines and programmes aimed at guaranteeing the rights of working children and adolescents be empathetic, inclusive and sensitive to our diverse social, economic and cultural realities.
   
   
2. We demand a relook at campaigns like the “Red Card” launched during the 6th Global Conference on Child Labour, which are mostly symbolic and tokenistic. These campaigns and other initiatives must be reworked to reflect our real lives as working children and adolescents, and they must stop oversimplifying the reasons why we work. They must stop ignoring our voices and experiences, and must reflect the social and economic realities of our families. These campaigns do not show realistic, rights-based solutions or safe alternatives for us, and therefore create visibility without bringing real or lasting change in our lives.
   
   
3. We have the right to be heard and to participate actively in all matters that affect our lives. Today, like all children and adolescents, we are citizens with a voice and opinion recognised in the International Convention on the Rights of the Child.
   
   
4. We raise the voices of children and adolescents up to the age of 18, from rural and urban areas, who work or aspire to safe and non-hazardous jobs; who aspire for supportive and relevant educational alternatives, as well as learn-and-earn and other opportunities for all round development in lieu of or along with safe work. Where state systems have failed, work has been a way for many of us to live with dignity, support our families and continue our life projects, including education.
   
   
5. We strongly oppose all forms of exploitation, including hazardous work, human trafficking, servitude and any form of abuse. At the same time, we uphold the value of decent, safe and secure work.
   
   
6. We strongly highlight the gaps in remedial measures and access to justice for children and adolescents worldwide who have been subjected to exploitative child labour, who have been forced into labour due to neglect and lack of alternatives. We also question the poor representation and lack of visibility and voice of working children and adolescents in policy making processes such as the current drafting of UN-CRC’s General Comment 27 on access to justice and remedies.
   
   
7. We demand that global and national public policies incorporate real options for decent work, flexible educational opportunities, skills-based training, and capacity-building programmes that enable us to learn, earn, and develop.
   
   
8. We condemn all wars, invasions, and aggressions in the world that continue to violate and invade our lands.
   
   
9. We oppose capitalist economic policies that, through privatisation and cuts in public spending on health, education, and child and youth development, deepen poverty and perpetuate the exploitation of working children.
   
   
10. We demand that strong institutional mechanisms be established to protect working children at the national and international levels. These mechanisms should clearly disseminate information about their objectives, their authority, and how they address and safeguard the rights of working children.
    
    
11. We demand that working children should be provided with opportunities to experience and enjoy their childhood in an appropriate and meaningful manner.
    
    
12. We demand strong measures to prevent working children from being drawn into harmful and addictive substances. At the same time, it should be ensured that they have access to safe working conditions and a dignified life.
    
    
13. Information related to online safety should be made accessible to working children. It must also be ensured that they receive fair wages corresponding to their work and that working hours and working conditions are regulated justly.