The aftershock of the global financial crisis threatens to deprive millions of children in the world’s poorest countries of an education, the 2010 Education for All Global Monitoring Report warns. With 72 million children still out of school, a combination of slower economic growth, rising poverty and budget pressures could erode the gains of the past decade.

In December 2009 'Stop Child Labour - School is the best place to work' organized a Round Table in the European Parliament on "Creating Child Labour Free Sectors".

Read the final report including:

• a comprehensive report on the Round Table,
• the concluding statement with recommendations to the European Union,
• important campaign documents and statements over the past six years,
• the four Stop Child Labour guiding principles.

Source: IPS, Oc.t 8 2009

LA PAZ - Bolivia is the world's leading exporter of the shelled Brazil nut, a nutritious food source that grows abundantly in the country's Amazon rainforest region. But in this tropical paradise, many of the nut-gatherers live in hellish conditions.

The competitive price of Brazil nuts from Bolivia brings with it exploitation of poor families, including children and adolescents. warns a recent study by the Centre for Labour and Agrarian Development Studies (CEDLA), sponsored by the Dutch Ministry of Labour, UNICEF and Hivos.

Source: Radio Netherlands Worldwide

Encouraged by the Stop Child Labour Campaign, Dutch fashion houses and business leaders have come together to launch a shop that only stocks clothes manufactured without the use of child labour in developing countries.

The opening coincides with the 20th anniversary today of the international convention on the rights of the child. The new store, CLF (Child Labour Free) opened in Amstelveen, close to Amsterdam, to promote the idea.

Source: ILO

More than 2 million children from 60 countries took part in an international letter writing competition for young people organized by the Universal Postal Union (UPU). The theme chosen for this year was "Decent Work".

First Prize was ewarded to a young Czech girl, who wrote a letter about how a bar of chocolate lead to her realizing the value of Fair Trade and decent work.

Read more about the contest and the letter of Dominika Koflikova

CBC News, 11 Sept. 2009

Children around the world are producing numerous goods being sold globally, says a report released by the U.S. Department of Labour. The report released Thursday found that 218 million children work worldwide, and that 126 million of them perform dangerous jobs.

The U.S. Labour Department has identified 122 goods from 58 countries it believes to be produced by forced labour, child labour or a combination of the two.

Business Line (India), August 26, 2009

The Orissa government has okayed an action plan on elimination of child labour in the state. The action plan is in line with the successful model adopted bij MV Foundation. Building and Woodworkers International, partner of SCL, is active in Orissa. This will be one of the stakeholders working with the model for "Child Labour Free Zones".

Cameroon, 2009. Etienne turned from child labourer into school boy. Watch his hopeful successtory on ILO TV (three short movies on Youtube). There is still a long way to go, towards a Child Labour Free Zone in the cocoa industry.

Watch part 1

Watch part 2

Watch part 3

Source: Plan International website

24 August 2009: A new Plan report has revealed how child tobacco pickers in Malawi are being exposed to high levels of nicotine poisoning - the equivalent of 50 cigarettes per day. ‘Hard work, little pay and long hours’ documents how children as young as 5 are working up to 12 hours a day for as little as 1 pence an hour.

Source: Education International, 22-7-2009

India has passed a landmark bill providing for free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14. In a vote held 20 July, the Rajya Sabha, India’s upper House of Parliament, gave unanimous approval to The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Bill.