World Day Against Child Labour
ILO observance
ILO observance
This authority record treats the observance as a fixed annual date. The same month and day can be reused unless a stronger source changes the rule. Public-holiday or government status is never inferred from the observance name alone.
Overview
World Day Against Child Labour is observed on 12 June to strengthen action against child labour and to focus attention on the laws, education, social protection and decent-work conditions needed to prevent children from being exploited or kept from healthy development and schooling.
The International Labour Organization brings governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, businesses, civil society and communities into the annual observance.
Why it matters
Not every task performed by a child is classified as child labour. International labour standards focus on work that is harmful, hazardous, exploitative, below applicable minimum ages or interferes with schooling and development.
Responsible awareness content should protect children’s privacy and dignity. Personal stories should not be solicited or published in ways that expose minors to stigma, retaliation or further harm.
History
The International Labour Organization launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to focus worldwide attention on child labour and the action needed to eliminate it.
The annual observance is held on 12 June and is connected with the ILO’s international labour standards on minimum age and the worst forms of child labour.
The first World Day Against Child Labour was observed on 12 June 2002. The ILO established the campaign and continues to lead the annual observance.
How the observance developed
This timeline is assembled only from verified provenance fields. Missing stages are omitted rather than inferred.
International Labour Organization (ILO)
The ILO launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 as a global annual campaign.
International Labour Organization (ILO)
ILO institutional launch of World Day Against Child Labour (2002)
First documented observance
The ILO announced 12 June 2002 as the first World Day Against Child Labour.
International Labour Organization (ILO)
The ILO continues to lead the annual World Day Against Child Labour campaign and official resources.
What the evidence establishes
Verified institutional roles and milestones are shown first. Fields that the reviewed sources do not establish remain fail-closed and are available below without competing with the confirmed record.
4 fields not established in reviewed sources
Also known as
Child Labor Day
Ways to observe
Use ILO educational material to learn the difference between child labour and safe, age-appropriate activities.
Review a school, organization or business safeguarding policy for risks connected with child exploitation or hazardous work.
Support a credible program that expands access to education, social protection or decent work for adults and families.
Discuss supply-chain responsibility using verified information rather than graphic or identifying stories about individual children.
Report suspected exploitation through the appropriate local child-protection or labour authority instead of investigating a child personally.
Useful facts
World Day Against Child Labour is observed on 12 June.
The International Labour Organization launched the observance in 2002.
The day brings together governments, employers, workers, businesses and civil society around action against child labour.
International labour standards distinguish harmful or exploitative child labour from some safe age-appropriate activities.
Child-safety and privacy protections should guide awareness activities involving minors.
The first World Day Against Child Labour was observed on 12 June 2002.
Topic and context
What this page does not assume
- Keep the source-defined country, community, organizer or institutional scope; do not silently broaden it.
- Do not treat the title alone as proof of government recognition or public-holiday status.
- Do not add a creator, founding story or origin claim unless the supporting evidence establishes it.
- Minors Context Care.
Evidence & sources
Repeated links from the authority record, institutional provenance and editorial guide research are consolidated here. Badges show how each source is used; a contextual source is never treated as proof of establishment on its own.
International Labour Organization — first World Day Against Child Labour, 12 June 2002 (opens in a new tab)
International Labour Organization — World Day Against Child Labour (opens in a new tab)
Intergovernmental
ILO — 2026 World Day Against Child Labour (opens in a new tab)
Intergovernmental Current
ilo.org — authoritative source (opens in a new tab)
Understand it, compare it, then explore further
Start with the most common factual questions, then use reviewed distinctions and related authority records to understand where this observance fits.
Frequently asked questions
When is World Day Against Child Labour?
12 June The stored recurrence guidance is: 12 June.
Does World Day Against Child Labour fall on the same date every year?
The authority record classifies it as fixed annual, so its month and day are reusable unless stronger evidence changes the rule.
Is World Day Against Child Labour an official public holiday?
The authority record verifies it within this scope: International Labour Organization global observance. That recognition does not by itself make it a statutory public holiday; the site only makes public-holiday claims when the supporting authority record explicitly does so.
Who established or recognizes World Day Against Child Labour?
The reviewed provenance layer identifies International Labour Organization (ILO) as the proclaiming or establishing body. Current facilitation or coordination is recorded as International Labour Organization (ILO).
Is World Day Against Child Labour international or country-specific?
The record has international or global institutional scope: International Labour Organization global observance. That does not mean every country treats the date as a public holiday or observes it in the same way.
How is this page verified?
The factual layer is source-backed and keeps its date rule, scope, provenance and editorial guardrails attached to the authority record. This record was checked on 2026-09-05.
When is World Day Against Child Labour?
It is observed every year on 12 June.
Who organizes World Day Against Child Labour?
The International Labour Organization launched the observance in 2002 and coordinates global awareness around it.
Is every kind of work done by a child considered child labour?
No. International standards focus on work that is harmful, hazardous, exploitative, below applicable minimum ages or interferes with education and development. Exact legal rules vary by jurisdiction.
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