World leaders tackle child labour

World Day against Child Labour is on 11 June

The eradication of child labour tops the list of challenging issues at this year's International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference.

The organisation has prioritised the strengthening of the international momentum to effectively abolish child labour.

One in six children between the ages of 5 and 17 - that is, 246 million children - are involved in child labour, according to a recent report from the ILO.

And 179 million children are exposed to the worst forms of child labour which endangers the child's physical, mental or moral well-being.

About 3,000 delegates from workers' and employers' organisations are meeting with government officials from 175 countries in Geneva.

Death prevention

Other issues on the agenda include the problems of work conditions in the informal economy, which accounts for about half of the world's workers.

The informal economy - which mainly consists of individuals finding their own work on a part-time basis - leaves workers without social security or any form of legal representation or rights at work.

Informal work is estimated to have created over 90% of new jobs in Africa over the past decade.

Health and safety concerns are also high on the list for discussion, with new figures revealing there were two million work-related death during 2000.

The ILO estimates that about 80% of these could be prevented if all member countries used the proper accident prevention strategies and practices.

Unemployment crisis

There is also likely to be fierce debate over working conditions in Israeli-occupied territories.

The Palestinian territories are heading deeper into economic crisis, with almost half the working population now unemployed.

The ILO is urging the international donor community to support emergency measures aimed at creating jobs in the region.

The conference got underway on Monday evening and lasts until 20 June.