Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Suriname (Ratification: 2006)

Article 3 of the Convention. Clause (d). Hazardous work. Workers in the informal economy. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to ensure that children under 18 years of age who work in the informal sector are protected from performing hazardous work.

The Committee notes the Government’s statement that it will provide information in the future on the activities of the labour inspectorate with regard to children under 18 working in sectors not covered by the Labour Code to ensure that such children do not engage in hazardous work. The Government states that such activities shall include direct measures, such as special programmes focusing on children under 18 years in the informal sector. The Government also states that additional measures will be taken in this regard by the National Commission on the Elimination of Child Labour (NCECL). The Committee requests the Government to provide, with its next report, information on the activities of the labour inspectorate and the NCECL with respect to ensuring that children under 18 working in the informal economy are not engaged in hazardous work.

Article 5. Monitoring mechanisms. National Commission on Elimination of Child Labour. The Committee previously noted that a decree had been drafted to establish NCECL. The Committee requested the Government to provide information on the NCECL’s functioning, once established.

The Committee notes that the State decree regarding the establishment of the NCECL was adopted in 2009. In this regard, it notes the Government’s indication that the NCECL will operate as an advisory mechanism, responsible for formulating policies concerning the abolition of child labour, initiating specific development programmes for children from indigenous and tribal communities, conducting surveys concerning the socio-economic situation of children engaged in child labour, advising the Minister of Labour regarding child labour issues and proposing amendments and revisions to legislation concerning child labour.

Article 6. Programmes of action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. The Committee previously requested the Government to take measures to ensure the formulation of the national plan of action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the NCECL, now established, is responsible for, inter alia, formulating a national plan of action concerning the abolition of child labour. The Committee encourages the Government to pursue its efforts to formulate and implement a national plan of action on the elimination of child labour and its worst forms. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on progress made in this regard.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee previously noted the information in the ILO Rapid assessment report of 2002 that child labour is closely related to lack of development, notably due to limited educational opportunities, particularly among children from minority groups. The Committee also noted that the Committee on the Rights of the Child, in its concluding observations of 18 June 2007 (CRC/C/SUR/CO/2, paragraph 59) expressed concern at the significantly low primary school attendance rates of children living in the interior of the country (particularly those belonging to indigenous and minority groups) and at the high number of children, especially boys, dropping out of school. The Committee also noted the implementation of the Basic Education Improvement Project (BEIP), focused on the improvement of the quality and internal efficiency of basic education.

The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the BEIP project is still in progress, and that initiatives carried out within this framework include capacity-building training programmes for teachers, awareness-raising activities in communities regarding the reforms of the current education system and the establishment of eleven years of basic education. The Committee also notes the information in UNESCO’s Education for All Global Monitoring Report of 2011 that the net enrolment for primary school in Suriname is 90 per cent, and that 6,000 children of primary school-age were not in school.

However, the Committee notes the indication from the UN country team in Suriname in the compilation prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council of 21 February 2011, that there remains significant geographical, gender and socio-economic disparities with regard to the achievement of universal primary education. This report indicates that this particularly concerns boys and girls in the interior, especially in relation to access to, and availability of, quality education (at all levels), and drop-out and retention rates (A/HRC/WG.6/11/SUR/2, paragraph 43). Recalling that education contributes to preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to pursue its efforts to improve access to free basic education to all children, especially those living in the interior areas and those belonging to indigenous and minority groups. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the results achieved, particularly with regard to school drop-out rates and retention rates.

Clause (b). Direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour and for their rehabilitation and social integration. The Committee previously noted the information in the 2009 International Organization on Migration report entitled “An overview of counter-trafficking activities in Surname (2008)” that the NGO, Foundation Against Trafficking in Persons, provided care to identified victims of trafficking in Suriname, including children, but that the Foundation lacked financial resources. The Committee requested information on measures taken to ensure that efforts to provide support for child victims of trafficking occurred on a permanent basis and received adequate funding.

The Committee notes the Government’s statement that it will provide information on this issue in its next report. In this regard, the Committee notes the indication of the UN Country Team for Suriname in the compilation prepared by the OHCHR for the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council of 21 February 2011, that Suriname is a destination, source and transit country for children and women migrating, legally or irregularly, including human trafficking. This report indicates that women and girls from abroad are brought to casinos, “clubs” and the streets of Paramaribo to work as commercial sex workers (A/HRC/WG.6/11/SUR/2, paragraph 23). The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that all child victims of human trafficking and prostitution have access to appropriate services for their rehabilitation and social integration. It requests the Government to provide, with its next report, information on the number of children who have benefited from such services.

Article 8. International cooperation and assistance. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s statement that the Foundation Tourism Suriname has attended meetings of the regional forum on the Elimination of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in Tourism. The Committee also notes the information in the Government’s report to the Human Rights Council in connection with the Universal Periodic Review of 16 February 2011 that, on the subject of trafficking, the Surinamese police cooperates with counterparts in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic. The Government also indicates in this report that, justice officials sought improved mechanisms for cooperation with Colombia and French Guyana with regard to trafficking (A/HRC/WG.6/11/SUR/1, paragraph 102).

Part V of the report form. Application of the Convention in practice. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s statement the current data on the situation of child labour in the country is outdated, and that a desk analysis of existing household data from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys of 2000, 2006 and 2010 will be undertaken in 2011, in order to produce an analytical report on the situation of child labour in Suriname. The Government states that a follow-up will be undertaken in 2012. The Government indicates that this survey shall be funded by the Government with support from UNICEF. The Committee requests the Government to provide information from the survey on the situation of child labour in Suriname, with its next report, particularly related to the worst forms of child labour.