Egyptian industry adopts child employment and training code of conduct through tripartism

Tripartism

Egyptian industry adopts child employment and training code of conduct through tripartism

Developed by the ILO with the Federation of Egyptian Industries, the Code of Conduct provides a framework to regulate children's training and employment in line with national legislation and international labour standards, demonstrating the value of tripartite social dialogue

9 July 2026

CAIRO  (ILO News)- In a major step toward aligning local industrial practices with international standards, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Egyptian Ministry of Labour, the Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI) and the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF) officially launched the Code of conduct for regulating children's training and employment on June 30, 2026.

The high-profile launching event was attended by Minister of Labour, H.E. Mr. Hassan Raddad; Director of the ILO Cairo Office; Mr. Eric Oechslin, , Chair of the Labour Committee of the FEI; Engineer Hani Mahmoud, Chairman of the Egyptian Trade Union Federation (ETUF); Mr. Abdel Moneim El-Gamal, and. Representatives from government entities, workers organizations, the private sector, international development partners, and academic institutions were also in attendance.

Minister of Labour of Egypt, H.E. Mr. Hassan Raddad

Structuring Protection: The ETEL Egypt Initiative

Prepared by the ILO in close cooperation with the FEI, the Code of Conduct was developed in the framework of the project "Combating the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Small Industries and among Children Working on the Streets by Supporting the Implementation of the National Action Plan in Egypt." Known as ETEL Egypt (Empowerment Through Education and Learning), the initiative is implemented by the ILO with the generous support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.

The primary objective of the Code is to promote responsible practices in the training and employment of children. By integrating national legislation with international labour standards, the framework ensures a secure training environment that robustly safeguards children's rights to education, physical protection, and development, while actively reducing the worst forms of child labour.

Private Sector Commitment to Safety and Development

Engineer Hani Mahmoud, Chair of the Labour Committee at the Federation of Egyptian Industries, affirmed that children's safety and the provision of a safe training and working environment for them are among the core principles to which factories and companies are committed. He noted that the new Code of Conduct provides a comprehensive framework for regulating the training and employment of children in accordance with Egyptian laws and international labour standards.

Eng. Hani Mahmoud, Chair of the Labour Committee at the FEI

He added that when children acquire practical skills in the right way, they become better prepared for their future professional lives, which has a positive impact on society and the economy. He noted that all international organizations speak about regulating children's work rather than leaving it without control.

The Chair of the Labour Committee at the Federation of Egyptian Industries affirmed that the Code of Conduct includes all the necessary controls and procedures to regulate this file. He called on employers to comply with its provisions, as it represents an important step toward strengthening safe working environments and embedding the principles of social responsibility within institutions.

Eng. Mahmoud concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the private sector is a key partner in protecting children, and that the implementation of the Code of Conduct will contribute to preparing qualified cadres for the labour market, while safeguarding children's rights and ensuring the provision of a safe environment that serves their best interests.

Partnerships, Graduation, and the Global "Red Card" Campaign

The launch event featured several landmark milestones aimed at linking education directly to the needs of the modern economy:

Apprenticeship Graduation: The event celebrated the graduation of 141 male and female students from the localized apprenticeship programme, highlighting state-level efforts to build technical cadres for productive sectors.

Graduated students of the apprenticeship programme in Egypt

Strategic panel discussion: A panel titled "Partnership for Impact: Private Sector Strategies to Promote Responsible Sourcing and Support Local Communities" convened experts from the ILO, FEI, and private enterprises to map out sustainable sourcing and multi-stakeholder development strategies.

Dr. El-Sayid Torky from FEI moderating the partnership for impact panel discussion with the private sector stakeholders

FEI and iSchool MoU: A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the FEI and iSchool with the support of ILO ETEL Project, expanding corporate social responsibility portfolios specifically to scale up digital education and technical training opportunities for children at the legal age for training and employment.

Participants collectively joined the ILO's global Red Card Against Child Labour campaign

To conclude the formal proceedings, participants collectively joined the ILO's global "Red Card Against Child Labour" campaign, reaffirming a unified regional and international commitment to defending children's rights to unhindered education and protection.

Institutions and stakeholders joining the ILO's global Red Card Against Child Labour campaign

An ILO perspective: The power of tripartism

The finalization of this Code highlights a sophisticated understanding of sustainable supply chains and private sector resilience. For enterprises to thrive in global markets, compliance with international labour standards is no longer optional, it is a baseline requirement for competitiveness.

Crucially, the success of this framework rests entirely on tripartism. Gathering the Ministry of Labour, the FEI, and workers' organizations to the same table, Egypt is proving that social dialogue is the most effective tool for balancing economic productivity with human rights. When businesses are actively involved in designing compliance structures rather than having them top-down enforced, they transform from regulators into active guardians of safe, legal, and transformative pathways for the next generation of the workforce.

Ultimately, this milestone highlights the irreplaceable value of the Federation of Egyptian Industries as a modern, forward-thinking Employer and Business Membership Organization (EBMO). Leading this initiative, the FEI has demonstrated that it does not merely react to regulatory pressures but proactively shapes national policy to protect industry interests while elevating corporate compliance. Through its institutional capacity and strategic leadership, the FEI has successfully translated high-level international principles into actionable, business-friendly guidelines. This capacity to lead on complex socio-economic files solidifies the FEI's status as a trusted, highly capable social partner, ensuring that Egypt's private sector remains both socially responsible and globally competitive.