The problem: Disjoint between plans and actions in spite of commitment
There is still ideological, political and practical disjoint between these processes. The reduction of poverty and the achievement of Education for All requires a much more genuine and serious effort to eliminate child labor - one of the biggest barriers to achieving Education for All and reducing poverty. The completion of universal primary education will never be achieved, nor will poverty be eradicated without eliminating child labor. Favorably, a debate has begun on the importance of linking these development processes.

While commitments have been made by the international community to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, achieve Education for All goals, and reduce poverty, there has been little, or no, synergy in the policies and practices addressing these areas. ILO Convention 182 on the worst forms of child labor is the fastest ratified convention in the history of the International Labor Organization, demonstrating huge political commitment from the international community to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Yet, worldwide the government departments of labor responsible for eliminating child labor have little or no connection to the departments of education responsible for achieving quality education for a country's children, and vice versa. The elimination of child labor is missing not only from most educational schemes, but also from poverty reduction strategies. Likewise, finance departments lack adequate understanding of child labor and education as prerequisites to economic development.

This lack of partnership is a "top to bottom" phenomenon, from the inter-governmental United Nations agencies, to non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to local self-governance.

Poverty alleviation is officially facilitated by The World Bank and United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

The United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) leads the process of achieving Education for All. The World Bank initiated the Fast Track Initiative on Education for All, mobilizing additional resources to fill in the financing gaps of countries genuinely committed to achieving Education for All.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) spearheads a girls' education initiative. The elimination of the worst forms of child labor is under the auspices of the International Labor Organization (ILO).

These UN agencies work with different sets of government departments and civil society organizations around the world. Coordination, collaboration and integration among the agencies, departments and local organizations are very rare. For example, to receive aid and debt loans, developing countries are required by The World Bank to develop Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs). Ironically, the elimination of child labor hardly figures into the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers of any country.

Similarly, countries are required to develop concrete and time-bound national plans to achieve universal education. Yet, there are no strategies to bring millions of child laborers to school articulated within Education for All plans. No wonder it is hard to find any marriage between education authorities and factory or labor inspectors in villages, towns and cities. How can a country enroll and, more importantly, retain children in primary and secondary schools without making a strong effort to eliminate child labor?

While child labor perpetuates poverty and hinders the achievement of Education for All, most countries do not link child labor elimination to achieving Education for All or reducing poverty. It is counterproductive that countries ratifying ILO Convention 182 are obligated to devise National Action Plans and Time-Bound Programs to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, which end up being divergent to the plans designed by their Departments of Education to achieve education goals.