ASEAN launches New Roadmap to Prevent Child Labor
With the mission to accelerate collective action towards ending child labour, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with support from the International Labour Institution (ILO), has launched the ASEAN Roadmap for the Prevention of Child Labour Including the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2035.
Announced on November 18th at a launch event, the new 10-year framework (2026-2035) builds upon the gains of the two previous ASEAN roadmaps – the ASEAN Roadmap on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour by 2025 and 2016 – and charts a clearer,more ambitious path for preventing child labour and eradicating its worst forms.
The roadmap also offers practical guidance for governments and partners, strengthening law enforcement, expanding access to education and social protection, and promoting responsible and accountable business practices.
Beyond this, it tackles persistent risks in agriculture and other vulnerable sectors, while addressing the deeper drivers of child labour such as poverty, debt, economic instability, and barriers to education, along with emerging risks linked to migration, climate change, and the digital economy.
The proposed key results areas of the roadmap are as follows:
- Promoting good governance