Efforts to eliminate child labour are entering a more complex financing environment. Public development assistance is under pressure in several regions, and multilateral institutions are operating within tighter budget frameworks. In this context, private-sector funding linked to human rights due diligence is assuming a more prominent role in sustaining progress toward SDG 8.7.
This development reflects regulatory evolution and heightened investor expectations. Companies, particularly multinational enterprises operating in global agricultural supply chains, are strengthening due diligence systems, investing in monitoring and remediation mechanisms, and integrating human rights considerations into procurement, compliance and risk management functions. Private-sector engagement has contributed to improved risk identification and corrective action. In many contexts, company policies are more aligned with international standards than in previous decades. These are important gains.
At the same time, child labour persists within a broader structural environment. Rural poverty, informal work arrangements, limited access to education and social protection, weak enforcement capacity and entrenched social norms continue to shape outcomes in agricultural communities. Legal frameworks may exist, yet their implementation depends on institutional capacity, sector coordination and local ownership.
As reliance on private funding increases, a key consideration emerges: how can due diligence investments reinforce national systems and sector governance rather than operate in isolation? ECLT’s experience suggests that alignment and coordination are decisive. In 2025, several developments illustrate how private engagement can be embedded within collaborative frameworks.
In Indonesia, the PAACLA platform, supported and co-developed through multi-stakeholder engagement, convened government ministries, employers’ associations, companies and civil society actors around shared standards. The launch of the PAACLA Award recognised companies demonstrating leadership in preventing child labour, while structured training sessions strengthened corporate understanding of labour practices aligned with national regulations and international guidance.
In Tanzania, the adoption and publication of the Agricultural Labour Code on Child Labour and related Labour Practices provided practical guidance grounded in national law and aligned with international standards. The revision and endorsement of the list of hazardous activities prohibited for children were informed by consultations across multiple regions and sectors. These processes reinforced clarity, accountability and sector-wide consistency.
In Malawi, the rollout of a pilot national Child Labour Monitoring System aims to strengthen the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Labour to collect and analyse data, coordinate responses and support district-level implementation. External technical and financial support help build public infrastructure designed for long-term use.
Across these contexts, private-sector engagement has been connected to government leadership, social partner participation and sector-level coordination. Due diligence mechanisms have been integrated into broader efforts to strengthen agricultural labour standards, grievance systems and institutional capacity. This integrated approach remains essential.
Supply chain monitoring and remediation are necessary components of responsible business conduct. Long-term prevention, however, depends on coherent national frameworks, effective enforcement, viable economic alternatives for families and sustained collaboration across sectors.
In the aftermath of the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, the focus has shifted from renewed commitments to implementation pathways. The evolving financing landscape—marked by increased reliance on private-sector due diligence funding—will shape how prevention strategies are designed and sustained.
The determining factor will be whether these resources are structured in ways that reinforce national institutions, sector governance frameworks and coordinated area-based approaches. Progress toward SDG 8.7 will depend on the coherence between private investment, public systems and multi-stakeholder collaboration.
