On 25th September 2015, the world leaders adopted the famous Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the coming 15 years.
The Sustainable Development Goals are a set of 17 goals and 169 targets agreed by the world leaders and designed to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. These goals replace the 8 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) adopted in the year 2000. Despite the overall success of the MDGs, they failed to include goals on ending child labour, slavery and trafficking, and many other goals that are now included.
With extensive advocacy for years by various child rights organisation across the globe, three major goals and targets have taken shape as part of SDGs, giving us a clear agenda for promoting children’s rights. Global March Against Child Labour network too, through years of lobbying and campaigning was finally able to get a dedicated Target – 8.7, on eradicating slavery, trafficking and child labour in all its forms. The three goals and targets relating to Global March’s work, that also form the central strategic framework and long term plans for the organisation are as follows:
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Target 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers and by 2025, end child labour in all its forms.
Target 16.2: End abuse, exploitations, trafficking and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
Global March as a strong global network of NGOs, trade unions and teachers’ associations working to end child labour, trafficking and slavery and promote education, aims to support governments and other civil societies in the implementation of SDGs in the following ways:
- Provide support to the governments to reflect the new global agenda in the national developmental plans, policies and legislations.
- Build capacity of partners and other stakeholders.
- Nurture and strengthen worldwide movement of stakeholders in realisation of mutual goals for sustainable development.
- Foster meaningful and positive social change through awareness raising, outreach and social mobilisation.
- Coordinate advocacy activities in partnerships on policies and programmes
- Collate and develop knowledge based evidences.
We are deeply involved in the SDG roll out and are determined to implement the SDGs for making the world a better place for children. For the achievement of the same we are working with some of the strongest advocates for ending child labour, modern slavery and human trafficking through the Global Coordinating Group under Alliance 8.7, the global partnership on achieving SDG target 8.7