2021 has been designated as the International Year of the Elimination of Child Labour. As we enter into the Decade of Action to Deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, it will be a pivotal year in working towards our target SDG 8.7 of ending child labour and all its forms by 2025.

Sustainable agriculture, together with fisheries and aquaculture, remain the key driver for poverty eradication and sustainable development. The EU is committed to develop agricultural value chains, which benefit the poor by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by local and global markets to create decent jobs and value added. The EU considers value chains as a major channel for agriculture development from “farm to fork.”

On the occasion of Europe Day 2021, the Delegation of the European Union wishes to contribute to the elimination of child labour by organising a symposium focusing on three guiding questions:

1. What challenges are we facing in child labour in agriculture and value chains and how could we address them?

2. How can partnerships throughout the whole value chain make a difference for children and their families?

3. How to accelerate action towards the achievement of SDG 8.7? How do we get from where we are now to where we want to be by 2025?

The concept note in annex explains the background of the event and contains the draft agenda (an updated agenda will follow in the coming days).

Please note that the event will be recorded.