In response to the growing concern that child labour is moving further down the long list of pressing global issues, organizations and representatives from around the world met at the recent Hague Global Child Labour Conference to establish a platform that will eliminate the worst forms of child labour by 2016.

"The intention of the conference is to re-energize the global movement against child labour," Patrick Quinn, a senior technical specialist for the International Labour Office (ILO), told MediaGlobal.

The World Bank and the United Nations International Children's Fund were also present at the Netherlands-based Conference, which ran the 10 and 11 of May, 2010.

"The concern is that the child labour issue is losing a little bit of focus and attention in the face of all the development challenges," said Quinn.

In conjunction with the conference, the ILO published a new report Accelerating action against Child Labour, which identifies causes for and approaches to ending child labour.

The ILO first reported on child labour in 2006. At the time, the ILO perceived an overall decrease in child labour around the world.

The 2010 report indicates that while the number of children ages 5 to 14 engaged in hazardous work fell by 31 percent, hazardous work done by children ages 15 to 17 increased by 20 percent. This means over 62 million teenagers throughout the world continue to be employed in hazardous work.

A closer look at the report indicates a rise in child labour in sub-Saharan Africa, but a decrease in Asia and Latin America. The report suggests that child labour persists in Africa due to a lack of social protection systems that provide support to families who struggle economically. One key suggestion made in the 2010 ILO report is establishing programs that give adults a chance to find decent work.

It is also feared that the global financial crisis is a major reason families continue to send their children to work, "When family incomes are under pressure there is a tendency to withdraw children from school and send them out to work," Quinn explained. When a family with multiple children has to choose between sending a child to school or to work, and the choice involves a son and a daughter, the girl is often chosen to go to work.

Quinn finds this trend disturbing.

The ILO believes that an important part of the child labour solution is tackling barriers to education. Because most child labour is rooted in poverty, ensuring that every child has the opportunity to attend school is crucial to reducing the problem. Eliminating school fees and providing incentives to send children to school will make it easier for children to get an education and keep them out of the labour force.

"India has the largest school meals program in the world, so there is incentive for families to send their children to school. Knowing that their child will get a good meal is important to families mired in poverty," said Quinn. "There are many developmental challenges at the moment: education, health, and the environment. But, in the face of all these challenges, child labour is an issue that must continue to be addressed."