Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

Social Policy (Basic Aims and Standards) Convention, 1962 (No. 117) - Central African Republic (Ratification: 1964)

Parts I and II of the Convention. Improvement of standards of living. The Committee takes note of the Government’s report received in June 2013, which refers to the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP 2) (2011–15). With regard to the 2008 observation, the Government indicates that a large range of problems relating to economic and social development have been taken into account by the PRSP 2. The document reveals that poverty affects just over three households out of five. Poverty is more pronounced in rural areas (69.4 per cent) than in urban areas (49.6 per cent). The document also reports a high unemployment rate for young people and the vulnerability of the elderly, the majority of whom did not have sufficient savings or pension to ensure their survival. The ultimate purpose of the poverty reduction strategy being to improve the welfare of the population, the Committee notes that education and income per capita were included among the areas considered essential. The Committee hopes that the Government will be able to indicate in its next report how the implementation of the PRSP 2 made it possible to pursue the objectives of the Convention which, in its Articles 1 and 2, provides that “all policies shall be primarily directed to the well-being and development of the population”.

Part IV. Remuneration of workers. In its 2008 observation the Committee expressed the hope that outstanding issues concerning the application of this provision would be taken into account in the new Labour Code. However, Act No. 09.004 of 29 January 2009 establishing the Labour Code of the Central African Republic does not seem to give effect to Article 12 of the Convention concerning the regulation by the competent authority of the maximum amounts and manner of repayment of advances on wages. The Government reiterates in its report that the maximum amounts and the wages will be fixed by decree of the Ministry of Civil Service. The Committee hopes that the Government will indicate in its next report the provisions of ministerial decrees regulating maximum amounts and manner of repayment of advances on wages, in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of Article 12.