Washington: US President Barack Obama said his administration has committed USD 60 million this year to towards elimination of child labour around the globe that number around 215 million.
"Childhood is a time that should be spent in classrooms and on playgrounds, but for 215 million children around the world, it is a time spent working, often in dangerous and deplorable conditions. And while reports indicate that child labour continues to decline, much work remains to be done," Obama said.
"My Administration is committing USD 60 million this year to support efforts to reduce child labor around the world," said the US President, in a statement issued on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labour.
The US Department of Labor has also taken steps to improve protections for child workers in the United States, and we have dramatically increased our child labour law enforcement efforts, Obama said, adding this week the Department of State and the Department of Labor jointly hosted a conference on child labour that demonstrated our intention to take a whole of government approach to this issue.
"Participants from multiple federal agencies and the National Security Council, alongside NGOs and multilateral organisations, all reaffirmed a commitment to take action against child labour in the year ahead," he said.
"We must address the root causes of child labour by ensuring access to education for all children and helping families to secure sustainable livelihoods and to overcome the poverty that contributes to child labour," he said.
"On this World Day Against Child Labour, all of us must recommit ourselves to creating a world where our children have a brighter future, free of exploitive labour," Obama said.
PTI
