Samoa will join the rest of the world in celebrating "World Day Against Child Labour" with the theme "Children shouldn’t work in fields, but on dreams!".

International Labour Organisation (I.L.O.) will partner with Samoa Victim Support Group (S.V.S.G.) to host this year’s celebrations by inviting 100 child vendors from around Upolu for a day of fun and entertainment at the Campus of Hope, Tuanaimato.   

Samoa’s minimum age for child labour is 15, according to the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) under I.L.O. The convention was developed to regulate child labour, by setting a minimum age for admission to employment that the signatories are to respect. 

A total of 152 million children from around the world are still in child labour. Although child labour occurs in almost every sector, seven out of every 10 is in agriculture according to the I.L.O's website.

The I.L.O. marked the first celebration of child labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. Each year the celebrations bring together governments, employers and workers organisations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child labourers and what can be done to help them.

“In 2019, ILO celebrates 100 years of advancing social justice and promoting decent work. The Child Labour Day looks back on progress achieved over a 100 years of I.L.O. support to countries on tackling child labour. 

“Since its founding in 1919, the protection of children has been embedded in the I.L.O. Constitution (Preamble). One of the first Conventions adopted by the I.L.O. was on Minimum Age in Industry (No. 5, 1919). 

“We also look forward towards United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 set by the international community calling for an end to child labour in all its forms by 2025,” a statement by I.L.O. on their official website.

The I.L.O. website also highlighted that 2019 also marks 20 years since the adoption of the ILO's Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182). 

“With only a few countries still to ratify, this Convention is close to universal ratification. On this World Day we call for full ratification and implementation of Convention No. 182 and of the I.L.O's Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138). 

“We also encourage ratification of the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, which protects both adults and children.”