SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES ADOPTION OF CONVENTION BANNING WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOUR

29 June 1999

Press Release
SG/SM/7051

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES ADOPTION OF CONVENTION BANNING WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOUR

19990629 Following is a statement issued by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 17 June:

The Secretary-General was delighted to hear that the Convention banning the worst forms of child labour has been unanimously adopted by the 174 member States of the International Labour Organization. "This is a victory for children everywhere", he said, "and especially for the tens of millions who are working, often in hazardous conditions, at an age when they should be at school. I trust that all States will ratify the Convention swiftly and act on it so that children are at last truly protected from slavery, conscription, prostitution and other gross violations of their human rights."

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