The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002, observed annually on June 12, to spotlight the scale of child labor worldwide and mobilize international and local efforts to eliminate it. The day builds on the international community's commitments under ILO conventions on the minimum age for work and the worst forms of child labor. Millions of children worldwide are still denied their childhood and education due to involvement in hazardous or exhausting work, whether in agriculture, factories, streets, or homes, often driven by poverty and lack of access to schooling. Child labor deprives children of their right to education and healthy development, exposing them to physical and psychological risks that can last a lifetime. The ILO and its partners worldwide mark the occasion with awareness campaigns and grassroots activities targeting decision-makers and local communities, calling on governments to strengthen legislation and expand social protection and free education as essential tools for ending child labor by the globally targeted date.