Ahead of the World Day Against Child Labour on 12 June, the International Labour Organization (ILO), UNICEF, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Office in Türkiye will convene a high-level roundtable in Ankara tomorrow, 09 June 2026, to commemorate the global day and strengthen dialogue and cooperation among national and international actors.
To be held under the auspices of the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Türkiye, the event will bring together representatives of government institutions, workers' and employers' organizations, UN agencies, civil society organizations, and academia. Participants will discuss pathways for translating institutional commitments into coordinated and accelerated actions across the country.
The 2026 World Day comes at a decisive global moment following the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour in Marrakech a few months ago, which reaffirmed the urgent need to move from policy pledges to concrete results.
Globally, progress has stalled, leaving 138 million children in child labour worldwide, including nearly 54 million trapped in hazardous work.
The Ankara roundtable will echo the global campaign's 2026 slogan: "Red card to child labour: Fair play for children, decent work for adults."
By bridging global momentum from Marrakech with local implementation strategies, this joint initiative by the United Nations Resident Coordinator, ILO, UNICEF, and FAO Türkiye Offices aims to strengthen Türkiye's integrated response and help turn the tide against child labour for children, families, and communities everywhere.
