On the occasion of tomorrow’s World Day against Child Labour, Markus Löning, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, issued the following statement today (11 June):

“Unfortunately, we are still far from achieving our goal of a world without child labour. It is unthinkable that 200 million children work, half of them in environments that are hazardous to their health or even life-threatening.

The members of the EU agree that we have to do even more to counter child labour. Here our key tools are development cooperation and trade incentives.

However, this policy will succeed only if consumers also send a clear message that they are against child labour. I call on all individuals to inform themselves and avoid buying products that have been made by children. Everyone can do something to counter child labour.”