CAIRO, June 12, 2021, SPA – The Arab League, Arab Labor Organization (ALO) and the Arab Council for Childhood and Development (ACCD) have stressed that child labor violates children's rights and is a major hindrance to their education and physical and mental development, citing the UN Declaration of 2021 as the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor. In a joint statement on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labor on June 12, the Arab League, ALO and ACCD said that the rise in poverty rates worldwide has increased the risk of children and vulnerable segments being forced to work, adding recruitment of children for use in armed conflict and human trafficking is the worst form of child labor. The statement also said that the economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic have complicated the global fight against child labor, urging more international efforts to eliminate the phenomenon before 2025 in line with the Global Development Goals 2030. --SPA 16:39 LOCAL TIME 13:39 GMT 0018 www.spa.gov.sa/w1570765