Over the last 3 years, the enthusiastic and vibrant participation of youth in jointly planned ILO-WOSM initiatives and events created local and global interest and developed new networks involving IPEC field offices and national scout organizations. As the partnership moves forward in this important year which marks the 90th anniversary of the ILO and the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the ILO’s Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (No.182), an increasing number of scouts will be involved through raising awareness on child labour and promoting interventions to assist the most disadvantaged children.

Seminars and projects led by scouts and involving university students, mayors, government and workers representatives already took place in many places around the world, notably in Colombia, Egypt, Kenya, Ukraine, Russia and Zambia, and offered youth the possibility to gain knowledge and take action on important global issues.

“Young people are a force for change when armed with knowledge and consciousness to fight social injustice. Their energy, creativity and determination to end child labour makes a difference in their communities and influences policy makers. This gives great hope for the future and it is with this spirit that we are delighted to renew the MoU with the World Organization of the Scout Movement", said Michele Jankanish, director of ILO-IPEC.

Luc Panissod, Acting Secretary General of the WOSM rejoined her saying that "the World Organization of the Scout Movement is happy to renew the MoU with ILO/IPEC to consolidate all the good work we have achieved together so far, especially in promoting the wonderful SCREAM Education Pack and the World Day Against Child Labour. Through this partnership, our National Scout Organizations have advocated children's rights to their young members and extended non-formal education to children and young people in difficult circumstances, to help them build a better future for themselves.“

The ILO’s International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) is active in over 90 countries and its SCREAM – Supporting Children’s Rights through Education, the Arts and the Media - programme, which is a main tool to promote children’s participation and youth empowerment, has been translated into 19 languages.

World Scouting is the largest global youth movement with more than 28 million members, youth and adults, boys and girls, in 160 countries. Their mission is to contribute to the education of young people through a value system based on the Scout Promise and law, to help build a better world where people are self-fulfilled as individuals and play a constructive role in society.

Useful links:

ILO : International Labour Organization

IPEC : International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour

SCREAM : Supporting Children's Rights through Education, the Arts and the Media