Child Labour, the ICC, and Food Security in Egypt

© UNICEF/Michael Songa A 12-year-old girl (right) made to work alongside her friends, also children, at a rock quarry in Sierra Leone

The Scale of Child Labour

With World Day Against Child Labour approaching on 12 June, the UN is calling for accelerated action on a crisis that still entraps close to 138 million children worldwide. Of that total, some 54 million are engaged in hazardous work that threatens their health, safety and development. Gilbert Houngbo, Director-General of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), described the situation as unacceptable and called for renewed global commitment through expanded education, decent work for parents, stronger social protection systems and reinforced legal safeguards.

This year’s theme, Red Card to Child Labour: Fair Play for Children, Decent Work for Adults, is backed by the recently adopted Marrakech Global Framework for Action Against Child Labour, which for the first time introduces measurable indicators and an accountability mechanism designed to track progress beyond the 2030 target date.

ICC Prosecutor Suspended

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has been suspended with immediate effect following an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct. The ICC’s executive committee has referred the disciplinary proceedings to the court’s 125 member states, who will decide his fate at a special session to be convened later. The office of the ICC President stressed that the suspension does not prejudge the outcome of the case.

The allegations, involving a female colleague at The Hague, first emerged in 2024. Khan, a prominent British lawyer, has repeatedly denied them.

Hunger at the Cinema

The UN World Food Programme is using Egyptian cinema screens to raise awareness about food insecurity through a campaign titled Not My Day. Running across 46 screens until 17 June, it features well-known Egyptian public figures describing what appear to be their own daily routines, before audiences discover they are recounting the real experiences of people supported by WFP in Egypt. The campaign comes as funding shortages continue to threaten critical food assistance programmes across the country.

Sources: ILO press release, 9 June 2026; ICC President’s office statement, 9 June 2026; WFP Egypt press release, 9 June 2026