NEW DELHI: Influencers and leaders from across the world said there was an urgent need to act on the global crisis of child labour.
They also expressed concern that the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic had deepened the existing inequalities and made the marginalised children more vulnerable.
They were speaking at the Fair Share For Children Summit 2020.
Leading the call to act, Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi said, “The call for a Fair Share for Children is no longer a standalone call for justice, but a universal resolve for justice by moral leaders around the world. We refuse to fail our children. We are here to declare that we are not going to tolerate business as usual in dealing with the Covid and post-Covid crisis.
We are not going to accept more child labour, trafficking and slavery of children as the new normal. We don’t have a choice but to act, and to act now.”
Citing a report on the US$8.02 trillion financial relief announced to date, less than 1 per cent has been allocated to those who have been rendered the most vulnerable in the pandemic-induced economic crisis, he said.
There is a set of challenges that children are facing due to the economic and social impacts of the global pandemic, the leaders said at the pandemic. “I want to see an increase in our coordinated efforts so that we can ensure a fair, sustainable and democratic recovery from this pandemic. I welcome international initiatives and your commitment to protecting the most marginalised and vulnerable children,” said Stefan Löfven, Prime Minister of Sweden.