Press Release

17 January, 2004, Mumbai, India - The crusade against child labour that set out six years ago celebrates its anniversary today. For the last six years, the Global March Against Child Labour has brought together NGOs, trade unions, teachers, children an concerned individuals and groups in a united voice calling for an end to child labour and education for all children.

"Children are the future of the country but they are working. I want to ask the governments, what their future is?" said Pintu, a former child stone crusher. Voices of children like Pintu will be heard loudly at the Children's World Congress on Child Labour to be organised in Florence, Italy in May this year. The Congress is a new endeavour of the Global march to give children, specially former child labourers, a platform to speak out to the world about their experiences of exploitation and their own solutions making a world free of child labour where all children can enjoy their rights.

Today, here in Mumbai, India where 100,000 people gather for this year's World Social Forum, a celebration march will be led by the children of 'Mukti Caravan' which has been travelling around India to raise awareness on child labour issues in the last two years. Under the banner, " A World Without Child Labour is Possible!", the Global March partners, including the host organsiations of the Children's World Congress, Mani Tese and the Italian trade union, will join with the local children and other civil society groups.

In Manila, the birthplace of the Global March, Ms Gloria Macapaga-Arroyo, President of the Philippines will join the celebration and officially sign an Anti-Child Labour law. The Anti-Child Labour law is a great step forward in the country in implementing the ILO Convention 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour. In the ritual,selected child labourers will present a bundle symbolising their hopes and aspirations to the authors of the Anti Child Labour Law.

"When a child cries, we turn to her. When a group of children cry out for an end to child labour, the entire world must hear and act. A world without child labour is possible when policy makers and world leaders listen to the children's demands," says Kailash Satyarthi, Chairperson of the Global March. The Children's World Congress will give opportunity to the children to question the leaders what effective steps they are taking to ensure the rights of all children.

In his message of support, UN Secretary - General, Kofi Anan called on the world community to make ending child labour a common cause. " Few human rights buses are so widely condemned, yet so widely practised," he quoted. " The big challenge, as so often , lies in the implementation of good intentions. The Global March Against Child Labour inspires us in that mission. Let us make it a priority. Because a child in danger is a child that cannot wait."

For more information, please contact:

International Secretariat
Global March Against Child Labour
L-6 Kalkaji, New Delhi 110019 India
Tel: (91 11) 2622 4899, 2647 5481
Fax: (91 11) 2623 6818
E-mail: childhood@globalmarch.org, gmis@globalmarch.org.in
Website: http://www.globalmarch.org

The Global March is one of the largest international movement in protection of the children’s rights, especially the right to free, quality education and the right to be free from economic exploitation.