Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - United Republic of Tanzania (Ratification: 2001)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (c). Using, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. The Committee previously requested the Government to indicate the provisions establishing effective and dissuasive penalties for the offences related to the use, procuring or offering a child for illicit activities, including the production and trafficking of drugs. The Committee notes the Government’s information in its report that section 24 of the Drug Control and Enforcement Act 2015 provides for the prohibition of any person who solicits, incites, aids, conceals or attempts to solicit, incite, aid or conceal any other person to commit an offence, and the prohibition of any person who causes, procures or attempts to cause or procure the commission of an offence under the Act. Section 26(1) provides for the penalties that upon conviction, the offender shall be sentenced to a fine of 10 million Tanzanian shillings (TZS) or to life imprisonment.

Article 6. Programmes of action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. The Committee previously noted that, within the framework of the ILO–Brazil Partnership Programme for the Promotion of South–South Cooperation, the Government developed a National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (NAP). Through the NAP, 148 government officials were sensitized on the worst forms of child labour and on the list of hazardous work. Moreover, child labour subcommittees were established in the districts of Ruangwa, Masasi, Liwale and Lindi Urban to oversee child labour issues. The Committee also noted with interest that during the 2011–12 financial year, a total of 17,243 children were withdrawn from the worst forms of child labour, and 5,073 children were prevented from engaging in these worst forms. Out of these 22,316 children, 5,410 were admitted into vocational training programmes, 2,402 into primary education, and 1,235 into complementary basic education and training. In 2012–13, a total of 1,994 children were withdrawn from the worst forms of child labour.

The Committee notes the Government’s information that, in collaboration with the ILO, the Government is implementing a number of programmes, including the South–South Cooperation with the support of the Government of Brazil in the cotton sector, the Achieving Reduction of Child Labour in Support of Education (ARISE) programme with the support of Japan Tobacco International (JTI), and the Promoting Sustainable Practices to Eradicate Child Labour in Tobacco (PROSPER+) programme with the support of Winrock International in the tobacco sector. Furthermore, macrosocial and economic efforts are being undertaken by the Government, such as improvement of the education sector and the living standards of people. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the implementation of the NAP, as well as the abovementioned programmes, and the results achieved in terms of eliminating the worst forms of child labour.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (b). Direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour and for their rehabilitation and social integration. Trafficking in children. The Committee previously noted that, following the enactment of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2008, the Anti-Trafficking Committee was in place, and that regulations for the implementation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act had been drafted and were awaiting further consultations with stakeholders. The Committee also noted the Government’s information that some centres run by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) deal with the removal of child victims of trafficking for labour and sexual exploitation and their rehabilitation, such as the Kiwohede Centre in Dar es Salaam, Akuwata in Tanga, Don Bosco in Iringa, and Tuleane in Mwanza.

However, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that so far, there is no data which has been compiled with regard to the number of child victims of trafficking who have been rehabilitated by centres run by NGOs, and that the database for human trafficking has not been established. The Committee also notes the concluding observations on the combined third to fifth periodic reports of the United Republic of Tanzania by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/TZA/CO/3-5, paragraph 70) that, the Regulations for the Implementation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act have not been published in the Official Gazette. The Committee once again requests the Government to indicate the number of child victims of trafficking who have been rehabilitated in the centres run by the NGOs. It also once again requests the Government to provide information on the progress made in establishing a database on trafficking in persons. Lastly, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the progress regarding the adoption of the Regulations for the Implementation of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act, and provide a copy once it has been adopted.