Employment minister attends global conference on elimination of child labour |14 February 2026
The Seychelles delegation: (l to r) Pharisianne Lucas, Minister Idith Alexander and Steve Monnaie
The Minister for Employment and Human Resource Planning, Idith Alexander, led the Seychelles delegation at the sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, held in Marrakech, Morocco, from February 11 to 13, 2026.
The conference brought together representatives of governments, employers’ and workers’ organisations from the 187 International Labour Organisation (ILO) member states, alongside civil society, regional and international organisations, the private sector, youth actors, and academia.
Its aim was to encourage dialogue on the global scourge of child labour, share national and regional experiences, identify practical solutions, and agree on urgent, concrete actions to eliminate child labour worldwide.
Over the three-day event, participants engaged not only in plenary sessions but also in an innovation fair featuring smaller, workshop-style discussions. Topics included hazardous work for children and youth, post-2030 child labour target setting, leveraging investments to drive change, and the role of international financial institutions in ending child labour in agriculture, among others.
As of January 2026, Seychelles has no recorded cases of child labour. This achievement is attributed to strong legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms that prohibit and punish child exploitation. The country has ratified key international conventions, including the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105); the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182); and the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138).
The ministry’s participation in the global conference provided an opportunity to learn from the experiences of other countries, explore mechanisms for detecting under-reported cases, and examine best practices for addressing child labour.
Joining Minister Alexander in the Seychelles delegation were principal secretary for Labour Relations and Regulations, Steve Monnaie, and senior employment officer, Pharisianne Lucas.
Contributed