The purpose of the FAO’s framework is to guide the Organization and its personnel in the integration of measures addressing child labour within FAO’s typical work, programmes and initiatives at global, regional and country levels. It aims to enhance compliance with organization’s operational standards, and strengthen coherence and synergies across the Organization and with partners. The FAO framework is primarily targeted at FAO as an organization, including all personnel in all geographic locations. But the framework is also relevant for FAO’s governing bodies and Member States, and provides guidance and a basis for collaboration with development partners. The framework is also to be used as a key guidance to assess and monitor compliance with FAO’s environmental and social standards addressing prevention and reduction of child labour in FAO’s programming.

The aim of the guidance note on elimination of child labour in agriculture through social protection is to enable practitioners at national, regional and global levels to adapt social protection systems to contribute actively to eliminate child labour in agriculture. Universal social protection can prove an effective means to both address rural poverty and child labour in agriculture, if done right. This requires integrating child labour analysis into social protection policies and programmes, designing social protection programmes that address the underlying drivers of child labour and/or directly target families and communities prone to child labour. This guidance note analyses evidence related to both social assistance and social insurances as well as supportive functions in labour market programmes/livelihood support, social care services and their influence on child labour in agriculture. As a result, the guidance note outlines specific steps to integrate child labour analysis into social protection programmes targeting rural households depending on agriculture for their livelihoods.

FAO Social Protection Framework presents the Organization’s vision and approach to social protection. FAO recognizes the critical role social protection plays in furthering and accelerating progress around food security and nutrition, agriculture development, rural poverty and resilience building.

Child labour in fishing

In its quadrennial Global Report on child labour, the ILO says that the global number of child labourers had declined from 222 million to 215 million, or 3 per cent, over the period 2004 to 2008, representing a "slowing down of the global pace of reduction." The report also expresses concern that the global economic crisis could "further brake" progress toward the goal of eliminating the worst forms of child labour by 2016.

"The unprecedented economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, together with school closures and inadequate government assistance, is pushing children into exploitative and dangerous child labor. As their parents have lost jobs or income due to the pandemic and associated lockdowns, many children have entered the workforce to help their families survive. Many work long, grueling hours for little or no pay, often under hazardous conditions. Some report violence, harassment, and pay theft. [This report] is based on interviews conducted from January to March 2021 with 81 children, ages 8-17, in Ghana, Nepal, and Uganda.... The report examines the impact of the pandemic on children's rights, including their rights to education, to an adequate standard of living, and to protection from child labor, as well as government responses."--Page 4 of cover.