On June 17, after two weeks of intense discussion and debate, delegates of the International Labour Conference unanimously adopted a historic convention prohibiting the worst forms of child labour. The event marks the first in International Labour Organisation (ILO) history that a convention or treaty has been adopted with the unanimous support of all members. Among the government, employer and worker representatives, there were 415 votes in favour of the Convention and no votes against it.

Officially titled Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (Convention 182), it calls for states to take swift and effective measures to prevent the most damaging child exploitation practices. These include child slavery, prostitution and pornography, the use of children for drug trafficking and other illicit activities, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict, and any other work that harms the health, safety or morals of children. Accompanying the Convention is a non-binding Recommendation (Recommendation 190) that provides guidelines to reinforce the provisions of the Convention and elaborates on specific actions to be taken by governments to ensure its implementation.

The Global March has had a major role in the activities leading to the creation and adoption of the new Convention. The launch of the movement in 1998 began a process that transformed country after country into strong supporters of immediate action against child exploitation. NGOs, trade unions, religious groups, children's committees, governments, business communities and other concerned groups have all joined hands in over 130 nations to declare strong commitment to the goals of the Convention. The historic six-month journey culminated in Geneva during the International Labour Conference's preliminary discussions of the Convention. Children of the Global March also came back to Geneva in 1999 for the final deliberations on the text and helped to secure a stronger document. And now that the Convention has been adopted, the Global March will act as a vigilant watchdog to ensure that it is not only ratified by member countries but also fully implemented.