Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

Message from the facilitator

Dear participants, FSN members,

A warm thank you to all those who have contributed to and disseminated this Call for Action, which has aimed at turning local, regional and global commitment into collective action. As reported in the new ILO-UNICEF Global Estimates, 112 million child labourers were found in agriculture in early 2020, 4 million more since 2016, with the sector still accounting for 70% of all child labour. In addition, further 8.9 million girls and boys could be in child labour by the end of 2022 as a result of rising poverty driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this context, we hope that your engagement and action will go beyond this Call for Action, joining our efforts to reverse this intolerable trend and give back to all children their right to an educated and healthy childhood. Your contributions to the Call and the resulting outcome document will continue feeding FAO’s observance of the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour, and contribute to the Global Event on Ending Child Labour in Agriculture on 2-3 November 2021. Closer to the Event, we will share with you all relevant information.

A warm thank you to all of you.

Bernd Seiffert