EVERY child deserves the opportunity to learn, dream and grow up free from exploitation, Acting Minister for Employment Filimoni Vosarogo said last Friday as Fiji joined the global observance of World Day Against Child Labour.
Speaking in Suva, Mr Vosarogo highlighted the scale of the global challenge, noting that millions of children continued to be denied their basic rights despite decades of efforts to eradicate child labour.
“Every child deserves childhood, every child deserves the chance to learn, to dream, and to grow up with dignity, free from exploitation,” he said.
He said the International Labour Organisation had used the annual observance since 2002 to draw attention to the plight of working children around the world.
“Even in 2026, 138 million children are still trapped in child labour. Fifty-four million are engaged in very hazardous environments.”
He said the figures represented far more than statistics.
“These are not just statistics, they are stolen futures, they are silenced voices and broken potentials.”
While acknowledging progress in the global fight against child labour, Mr Vosarogo stressed that the battle was far from over.
“Progress has been made, but we know that progress has not known victory.”
Referring to this year’s theme ‘Red Card to Child Labour: Fair Play for Children, Decent Work for Adults’, he said the message was a call to action for governments, employers and communities.
“It demands that we invest in quality education, strengthen social protection, create decent jobs for adults, and enforce laws that protect the very vulnerable in our communities.
“It reminds us that when adults have real opportunities, children can finally be children.”
