GENEVA (ILO News) – The annual World Day Against Child Labour will be marked by events in scores of countries around the world on 12 June amid growing concerns over the impact of the economic crisis on child labour, and in particular girls.

For the World Day, the ILO will release a new report entitled “Give Girls a Chance: Tackling child labour, a key to the future,” highlighting the exploitation of girls in child labour and warning that the crisis could force more girls out of education and into child labour.

The report by the International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) of the International Labour Office (ILO) will provide latest estimates on the number of girls in child labour and detail the exploitative forms of child labour facing them.

This year’s World Day also marks the tenth anniversary of the adoption of ILO Convention No. 182 on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour.

World Day Against Child Labour 2009 Events

World Day events will be held in some 50 countries across the world. Events around the world will involve governments, employers and workers, other UN organizations and non-governmental organisations, media events, awareness raising campaigns, cultural performances and other public events.

In Geneva, the ILO will mark the World Day with a an event organised jointly with the City of Geneva and the Geneva-based community organisation Le Respect on the Place des Nations at 1400.

At 1500, a special session of the International Labour Conference will mark the World Day and the tenth anniversary of ILO Convention No. 182 concerning the Worst Forms of Child Labour. Speakers will include ILO Director-General Juan Somavia; U.S. Senator Tom Harkin; Mr. J.W. Botha, employers group spokesperson in the Committee on Child Labour of the 1999 International Labour Conference; and Sir Roy Trotman, workers group spokesperson in the Committee on Child Labour of the 1999 International Labour Conference.

At both Geneva events, the "Haba na Haba" Band composed of young musicians from Kenya will perform. The band members from the slums of Nairobi, have developed their musical skills in a youth centre supported by the ILO-IPEC programme. See the band on www.youtube.com.

Note for the media:

Broadcast quality video material on child labour in different regions of the world is available to broadcasters by contacting the Department of Communication, Radio and TV unit on tv_radio@ilo.org for video materials.

For more information or to interview experts in child labour, please visit the World Day website or contact the ILO International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour at +4122/799-7341, +4122/799-6568 (English, French and Spanish) or +4122/799-8286 (English only), or via email ipec@ilo.org