The Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Mr. Abdelhak SAIHI, together with the Minister of National Solidarity, Family and Women’s Affairs, Ms. Soraya MOULOUDJI, chaired, on Thursday, 11 June 2026, at the Family Centre, the ceremony marking World Day Against Child Labour, observed annually on 12 June. This year’s event was held under the slogan: “Red Card to Child Labour: Protected Childhood and Decent Work for Adults.”

The ceremony was attended by the National Delegate for the Protection and Promotion of Children, the President of the Algerian Council for Economic Renewal, representatives of international and regional organisations accredited in Algeria, as well as senior officials from various national sectors and institutions.

In his address, the Minister affirmed that Algeria has made the protection of childhood a constant and irreversible sovereign choice and a key pillar of its national project to build a strong and prosperous Algeria, based on the firm conviction that genuine national investment begins with protecting children and guaranteeing their fundamental rights to education, care, protection and a dignified life.

The Minister explained that the attention devoted by the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE, to issues relating to childhood reflects a clear political commitment to building a fair social state that guarantees equal opportunities for all children without discrimination and strengthens the social protection system as one of the major achievements of the modern Algerian State.

He also reaffirmed Algeria’s full commitment to fulfilling its international obligations in the field of children’s rights, by continuing to align its national legislation with relevant international conventions and strengthening prevention, monitoring and care mechanisms, with a view to protecting children from all forms of economic and social exploitation.

The Minister presented the results of the Labour Inspectorate’s activities for the period from 1 January to 31 May 2026. During this period, labour inspection services monitored more than 72,000 private-sector employers employing over 676,000 workers. The monitoring operations identified only two cases of children being employed below the legal working age. A total of 19 infringement reports were also issued, compared with 24 during the previous year, confirming the downward trend in this phenomenon.

The Minister stressed that these positive results were not achieved by chance, but were the outcome of continuous field work and coordinated efforts by the various State institutions, based on strict enforcement of the law, intensified monitoring, expanded awareness-raising programmes and stronger social protection for families.

In this context, the Minister reaffirmed Algeria’s steadfast and supportive position towards Palestinian children facing tragic humanitarian conditions as a result of aggression and occupation, stressing that protecting children around the world, particularly Palestinian children, is a moral and legal responsibility incumbent upon the international community.

He further stressed that combating child labour is not the responsibility of any single sector, but rather a collective national responsibility shared by State institutions, families, schools, civil society, and social and economic partners, with the aim of ensuring a safe and prosperous future for children and protecting their right to education, dignity and development.

For her part, the Minister of National Solidarity, Family and Women’s Affairs affirmed that protecting childhood and promoting children’s rights constitute one of the fundamental pillars of the public policies pursued by the Algerian State and a practical expression of its constitutional and humanitarian commitments towards future generations.

She also explained that, under the leadership of the President of the Republic, Algeria continues to strengthen its social protection system as a key pillar of stability, development and national cohesion, through integrated programmes and mechanisms targeting children and families and providing various forms of support, care and assistance to social groups requiring particular attention, through a national network comprising more than 50 specialised child-protection institutions.

For her part, the National Delegate for the Protection and Promotion of Children affirmed that Algeria has made significant qualitative progress in protecting children’s rights in recent years, thanks to the State’s strong political commitment and the continuous development of the legal and institutional framework dedicated to child protection.

She commended the efforts made by the various State institutions and national bodies in the areas of prevention, detection, reporting and care of children, noting that the results achieved in combating child labour demonstrate the effectiveness of the national approach based on coordination and complementarity among the various stakeholders.

She further affirmed that the National Child Protection Body continues to strengthen protection, early-warning and child-care mechanisms, while promoting a culture of children’s rights within society, thereby protecting future generations from all forms of exploitation, violence and exclusion.

It should be noted that this occasion provided an opportunity to renew Algeria’s firm commitment to continuing its efforts to eradicate child labour and strengthen the various mechanisms for protection, care and support, in line with the State’s vision of building a cohesive society that places children at the heart of its national priorities.

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