Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2010, published 100th ILC session (2011)

Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) - Gabon (Ratification: 1961)

Article 1(a) of the Convention. Imposition of a sentence of imprisonment involving compulsory labour as punishment for expressing political views or views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system. For many years, the Committee has been drawing the Government’s attention to section 2(2) of Act No. 22/84 of 29 December 1984 on prison labour, in terms of which, political prisoners sentenced at the same time for related offences under ordinary law are treated as ordinary prisoners and, by virtue of section 3 of the Act, are required to work. The Government previously recognized the need to amend this provision and, pending that amendment, it had taken measures to prohibit prison labour.

In its latest report, the Government refers to the study on the conformity of the national legislation with international labour standards, carried out in the context of the Programme to Support the Implementation of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (PAMODEC). It indicates that the study, which was validated in July 2010, includes proposals to amend a number of texts, including Act No. 22/84 of 29 December 1984 on prison labour. The Committee hopes that measures will be taken to amend the provisions of section 2 of the Act on prison labour taking into account its previous comments. It emphasizes that, to ensure that this Act is in conformity with the Convention, the amendments may consist of either making prison labour voluntary for all prisoners or, as proposed in the PAMODEC study, of considering that political prisoners or prisoners of conscience sentenced at the same time for related offences under ordinary law are not treated as ordinary prisoners and consequently not obliged to work.