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#International Labour Standards on Child labour

Child labour is a violation of fundamental human rights and has been shown to hinder children s development, potentially leading to lifelong physical or psychological damage. Evidence points to a strong link between household poverty and child labour, and child labour perpetuates poverty across generations by keeping children of the poor out of school and limiting their prospects for upward social mobility. This lowering of human capital has been linked to slow economic growth and social development. A recent ILO study has shown that eliminating child labour in transition and developing economies could generate economic benefits nearly seven times greater than the costs, mostly associated with investment in better schooling and social services. (Note 1 ) ILO standards on child labour are primary international legal tools for fighting this problem.

Selected relevant ILO instruments

Further information

Note 1 - ILO: In vesting in Every Child: An economic study of the costs and benefits of eliminating child labour (Geneva, IPEC, 2004), pp. 4-5.