60th session of the Human Rights Council

08 September – 08 October 2025

Item 3: ID with the SR on contemporary forms of slavery

Joint statement by International-Lawyers.org and Geneva International Centre for Justice

Delivered by Elena Hadad

We thank the Special Rapporteur for his report and his continued efforts to highlight the worst forms of child labour. Such practices undermine children’s rights to education, health, and development, threatening the progress towards achieving SDG 8.7, abolishing forced labour in all its forms.

Whether for business, informal economies, or in the context of armed conflicts, those responsible for the exploitation of children must be held fully accountable, as effective accountability constitutes one of the strongest deterrents to child labour.

It is widely acknowledged that migrants are increasingly becoming subjected to different forms of exploitation around the world. There is rising concern regarding migrants deported from the United States, who are being enslaved by armed groups in South America.

We strongly support the Special Rapporteur’s call to promote restorative justice for children coerced into armed conflict, while stressing that true justice also demands holding those exploiting and recruiting child soldiers fully accountable. Such accountability contributes to reinforcing international norms that recognise children as rights-holders rather than economic tools.

We urge all member States to take decisive action against the worst forms of child labour by ending the impunity of those who benefit from it. Addressing the root cause will contribute to breaking cycles of poverty and exploitation that sustain child labour across generations. Finally, we would like to emphasise once again the crucial need for the full implementation of the Durban Declaration and Plan of Action, to end all forms of racism and slavery.

Thank you.