The present report reviews the legislative regulation in the field of child labour and the needs identified in practice. The document was drawn up with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and focuses on the analysis of both the situation before the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact of the pandemic; The document also includes recommendations for the responsible agencies. The study was conducted by the Public Defender’s Office in four regions of Georgia in 2020.

A lot of children around the world are involved in the forms of labour that hinder their psycho-physical development and access to education. Poverty is one of the main causes of child labour, which has become even more problematic during the pandemic.

Child labour and protection of children from the worst forms of labour are one of the most serious challenges in Georgia. According to the EU Directive, Member States shall ban the employment of persons under 15 years of age. Member States may make legislative exceptions for the prohibition of work by children not to apply to children employed for the purposes of cultural, artistic, sporting or advertising activities. The mentioned document is very important for Georgia as well, as it sets a high standard of protection in the field of child labour, which shall be used by states as a guiding principle in their domestic legislations.