Atina Responds to the Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of slavery Call to End the Worst Forms of Child Labour

NGO Atina has officially contributed to the United Nations’ call for input on the worst forms of child labour, issued by the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery. The submission will inform the upcoming thematic report to be presented at the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in September 2025.

This global consultation seeks to assess progress toward eliminating the most exploitative and harmful forms of child labour, as defined by ILO Convention No. 182. These include slavery-like practices such as child trafficking, forced labour, exploitation of children in prostitution and pornography, involvement in illicit activities, and hazardous work that endangers children’s health, safety, or morals.

Atina’s report brings to light the challenges and risks faced by marginalized children in Serbia and the Western Balkans, including those from refugee and migrant populations, Roma communities, children with disabilities, and victims of trafficking. Atina’s submission highlights the interconnectedness of poverty, displacement, lack of education, and social exclusion as root causes of these violations.

Atia also shared effective practices and interventions developed by the organization, including trauma-informed support services, survivor-led programs, and multi-agency protection mechanisms. Notably, Atina’s field experience underlines the importance of involving survivors in designing and implementing protective measures. Working with frontline professionals has also demonstrated the value of early-warning systems, community engagement, and cross-sector collaboration.

As the final year of the Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 target to eliminate all forms of child labour by 2025 has been marked, Atina joins global partners in calling for urgent, coordinated action. Atina’s team emphasizes the need for sustained investment in social protection, child-centered justice systems, regional cooperation, and accountability mechanisms for both state and private actors.

Atina’s complete submission is now available on the OHCHR website https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/slavery/sr/cfis/worstforms/subm-worst-forms-child-cso-ngo-atina.pdf 

We remain committed to advancing the rights of all children to live free from exploitation.