Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1993, published 80th ILC session (1993)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Côte d'Ivoire (Ratification: 1960)
Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 - Côte d'Ivoire (Ratification: 2019)

In its previous comments, the Committee referred to sections 24, 77 and 82 of Decree No. 69-189 of 14 May 1969, issued under sections 680 and 683 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which provide for the hiring-out of prison labour to private persons.

With regard to the Government's reference to semi-freedom, the Committee notes that this is governed by sections 25, 83 and 87 of Decree No. 69-189 and allows prisoners to work for private enterprises under the terms of employment contracts which have been freely concluded by them with their employer and under the normal conditions of work as regards, for example, occupational accidents. Such is not the case of prisoners governed by sections 24, 77 and 82 of the Decree.

The Committee notes that the Convention, in Article 2, paragraph 2(c), explicitly prohibits persons, from whom work is exacted as a consequence of a conviction in a court of law, from being placed at the disposal of private individuals, companies or associations. Only work performed under the conditions of a free employment relationship can be considered to lie outside the scope of this prohibition, which necessarily requires the formal consent of the person concerned and, in view of the circumstances in which this consent is given, guarantees and safeguards with regard to wages and social security which make it possible to consider that it is a real free employment relationship.

The Committee requested the Government to indicate the measures that have been taken or are under consideration in this respect. The Committee notes that the Government's report does not contain information in this regard and hopes that the Government will soon supply the required information.