Council Conclusions on Child Labour (20 June 2016)

‘4. The Council reaffirms the urgency to eliminate the worst forms of child labour and underlines the importance of a child-rights based approach4 to inform and guide all actions to eliminate child labour. Action is most effective and sustainable when it is embedded within comprehensive action plans and programmes to eliminate all forms of child labour, including through integrated area-based, sector-based programmes and value chain approaches. In this respect, the Council encourages the Commission to ensure coherence and complementarity between its education and child labour-oriented development programmes and to ensure mainstreaming in other sectors such as decent work, responsible business, vocational training and education, agriculture, manufacturing and mining as well as facilitating school-to-work transition and decent work for youth. Delivering on social protection floors and quality education are key factors contributing to a decline in child labour. In addition, it is relevant to recognize that child labour and forced labour are closely linked and frequently occur in similar contexts and sectors.‘