Never before the Global March in 1998, did an international network solely on child labour issues, exist. On learning that a discussion on the needs for an international law to fight against child labour was going to take place in Geneva, a group of civil society organisations began planning a consolidated worldwide action to make this Convention an effective tool to bring an end to child labour.

At the time of initial discussions in Hague, concern about child labour was not deep enough to bring about radical changes. It was only after the Global March in 1998 that the issue came into prominence at the national and international levels.

The Global March partners then initiated a worldwide march where nearly seven million people mobilised to jointly put forth the message against child labour. The march, which started on 17 January 1998, touched every corner of the globe, built immense awareness and led to a high level of participation from the masses. This march finally culminated at the ILO Conference in Geneva in June 1998 where a new Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour was in discussion.

March - Basis of the Convention:

It is difficult to imagine what shape the Convention would have taken without the Global March. In the period prior to the March, any discussion on the issue was filled with tension and even attempts to produce a simple declaration had ended in stalemate. The Global March became involved in the process in 1997 and has had a tremendous impact at the local, national and international level since then.

The major contribution of the Global March came even before the start of the March when it succeeded in developing a unifying set of goals for the movement. These goals showed how the worst forms of child labour could be eradicated in the broader context of working against child labour. It marked the first time in history that civil society around the world had agreed to a common platform on the issue. The involvement of children, civil society and political leaders and the creation of national committees against child labour, resulted in a strong commitment within those countries to do something about the problem.