Morocco’s comprehensive approach to combating child Labor is based on prevention, protection, the legislative framework and intervention on the ground, said on Wednesday in Marrakesh Minister of Economic Inclusion, Small Enterprise, Employment and Skills, Younes Sekkouri.
In his opening address at the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor, the minister said Morocco’s societal project is driven by steadfast commitment to the respect of Child’s rights, human rights and social justice.
He cited in this regard the international conventions ratified by Morocco on The Rights of the Child, the minimum age to employment and the worst forms of child Labor.
“Morocco will continue its efforts to consolidate these achievements, through the development of social policies, strengthening social protection, support for vulnerable families, expanding access to education and strengthening control mechanisms, in close collaboration with civil society and all stakeholders,” said the minister.
“We need today to move from technical approaches to a courageous approach, making the elimination of child Labor a real priority of public policy” he stressed.
United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed called for addressing the root causes of child labor, notably poverty, inequality and the lack of decent work.
In a video message broadcast at the opening ceremony of the conference, the UN official stressed that eliminating child labor actions must be part of broader strategies aimed at creating conditions in which families are not forced to make impossible choices.
She further underlined the need to place social justice at the core of the collective response and to invest in quality education and the development of skills capable of opening up real opportunities for children.
The UN official also pleaded for labor market policies that facilitate the transition from the informal economy to decent work, backed by robust and inclusive social protection systems.
The Deputy Secretary-General said she was confident that the Marrakesh conference would reinforce the shared responsibility to translate “our commitments into concrete action and ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn, grow, and shape their own future.”
The three-day World Conference on the Elimination of Child labor, which opened in Marrakesh, is bringing together government officials, representatives of employers’ and workers’ unions, civil society, regional & international organizations, the private sector, academia, as well as youth and children’s groups.
Debates focus on the major persisting challenges related to the fight against child labor since the 5th Global Conference held in Durban in 2022, and on concrete and effective solutions to make a tangible impact on the lives of children currently engaged in child labor, laying the foundations for joint and sustained action beyond 2030.
