World Day Against Child Labor, June 12, 2010

Anupam Nath/Associated Press

Today much of the world is flocking to their TVs to as the World Cup in South Africa kicked off. However while the joy of the game and international sportsmanship ensue, much of the World Cup and sport have been tainted by child labor, via sex trafficking and labor…including the stitching of soccer balls.

Soccer balls have been produced in India and Pakistan for numerous international companies.  In time for the opening match of the World Cup The International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) released the report, Missed the Goal for Workers: the Reality of Soccer Ball Stitchers in Pakistan, India, China and Thailand. The report showed evidence that child labor was used by workers producing for three different factories in Pakistan, despite a increased efforts to fight child labor in the production of soccer balls.  In response to the findings in the report, “the ILRF is calling on the soccer ball industry to take immediate action to address the issues of extremely low wages and proliferation of temporary workers in order to improve conditions for the workers who produce the balls at the center of the 2010 World Cup”. As a consumer you can ensure your soccer ball, and other sports balls, are slavery free by purchasing from Fair Trade Sports.

Unbeknown to many today is also World Day Against Child Labor, which fittingly the theme for the 2010 event is “Go for the goal… End Child Labor”. According to the International Labor Organization (ILO) some 215 million children are in situations of child labor exploitation.

The 2009 World Day Against Child Labor also saw the celebration of the 110th anniversary of the adoption of the International Labor Organization’s Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labor, ILO Convention No. 182, which addresses the need for action to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The Convention has since been ratified by over 90 percent of the ILO”s 182 member States. This years World Day Against Child Labor falls a month after a major Global Conference on Child Labor was held in the Netherlands, which was the first of its kind in over a decade. However while much has been done in the decade since the coming into force to ensure that millions of child laborers have been spared against such practices such as the use of children in slavery, forced labor, trafficking, debt bondage, forced or compulsory recruitment for armed conflict, and all forms of work that are like to harm the safety, health, or morals of children.

However despite the progress in combating child labor across the globe, much remains to be done. You can help today by spreading the word about World Day Against Child Labor.