"The future of humanity is linked to the ability to protect children. The social protection they should enjoy - the right to health and education - regardless of where one is born, is far from being a reality. Around the world, millions of children are denied a future". Thus opens a statement by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, on the occasion of the World Day Against Child Labor. "Inserted in the production processes of the globalized economy, the first victims of wars and natural disasters, their childhood is taken away from them and they are forced to work at an early age," Mattarella continues. "Invisible slaves - as denounced by the International Labor Organization - of an unacceptable spiral of violence and abuse. In Italy, too, the numbers on child labor give pause for thought: they are an expression of the social unease present in too many areas of the country and also find a connection with manifestations of organized crime. Awareness is needed of the danger of children and young people entering the world of work at an early age who, without any protection, see their future irreparably compromised and the damage this does to society as a whole. It is a responsibility to address which requires the commitment of governments, businesses, and civil society, as well as the adoption, at the international level, of ethically shared behavior by consumers as well. Realizing the ambitions of girls and boys must be a primary concern".