Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2002, published 91st ILC session (2003)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Rwanda (Ratification: 1981)

Further to its observation, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the following points.

1. Noting from section 28 of Act No. 22/2002 establishing the general conditions of service of public officials, which establishes the criteria for admission to competitions concerning civil service posts, that additional criteria can be established for certain employment, the Committee asks the Government to provide information whether it has made or intends to make use of this provision. If applicable, please provide information on any additional criteria established.

2. Noting the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was encouraged by the Government’s efforts to rehabilitate the judicial system, including through training of judicial and law enforcement officials (concluding observation of 23 March 2000, CERD/C/304/Add.97, paragraph 7), the Committee would be grateful to receive information on whether such training is also provided to officials enforcing or applying laws and regulations on non-discrimination and equality in employment and occupation, such as judges and labour inspectors.

3. The Committee notes that the Government’s report did not reply to the following points raised in its previous direct request:

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2.  The Committee notes that the Government has not provided any information on the actual situation of underprivileged ethnic groups, particularly the Batwa (Pygmies) and that it makes no mention of the study that it had envisaged undertaking on this matter. The Committee would therefore be grateful if the Government would indicate whether such a study has actually been carried out and, if so, its conclusions and recommendations, as well as the measures which have been taken or are contemplated to ensure that these minorities enjoy the equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation guaranteed by both the Convention and article 16 of the Constitution of Rwanda. If the study has not been carried out, the Committee would be grateful to be provided with information on the measures taken or envisaged by the Government to guarantee underprivileged ethnic groups, including the Batwa, the equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation laid down by the Convention.

3.  The Committee notes that the Government makes no reference in its report to any effect that the liberalization of recruitment procedures since 1993 may have had on the application of the national policy for the promotion of equality of opportunity and treatment in access to employment. The Committee therefore once again requests the Government to indicate the measures which have been taken or are envisaged to ensure the right of all jobseekers to have their applications for employment considered equitably, that is, without discrimination on grounds of race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the very near future.