Child labour

These are the jobs done by children and adolescents. They affect their physical and psychological development, prevent them from achieving their full potential, and threaten their security. Child labour endangers the child performing it; it causes damages to their physical, mental, or moral well-being; and it truncates their access to education. The education-related consequence can occur because they are unable to enroll in school, attend classes, combine school with work, or because they must abandon school.

Some of the worst forms of child labour are slavery and similar practices, including the sale and trafficking of children and adolescents, being submitted to conditions of slavery to pay their debts, and forced recruitment in contexts of armed conflict. Other forms include the use, recruitment, or offering of children and adolescents for prostitution or to create pornographic material. Also, being recruited and used to perform illegal activities, such as producing and trafficking drugs.

In contrast, it is not considered child labour if it does not infringe on the health and education rights, or the physical and mental development of children and adolescents. For example, participating in domestic chores, performing tasks in family businesses, working during vacation time, or working during non-school time.