The Durban Call to Action is a document that emphasizes the need for urgent action to end child labour. It was adopted by Delegates at the 5th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour on 20 May 2022.

Its goal is to accelerate progress on ending child labour, after years of reversal due to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global vulnerabilities.

To achieve the shared goal of zero child labour, thousands of Delegates from governments, workers’ and employers’ organizations, UN agencies, civil society and regional organizations agreed to focus on specific key areas, including child labour in agriculture, children’s rights to education, and universal access to social protection.

The Durban Call to Action is a landmark in the movement against child labour because, for the first time, children are signatories to the document and made clear their expectations for decision-makers to step up their efforts.