Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2014, published 104th ILC session (2015)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Ethiopia (Ratification: 1999)

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy and application of the Convention in practice. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes that, according to the Government’s fifth and sixth periodic country report (2009–13) on the implementation of the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights, in April 2014 (page 92), the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has adopted and implemented a National Action Plan (2011–17) to prevent child labour exploitation. The Committee also notes the Government’s participation in the project entitled “Ethiopians Fighting Against Child Exploitation” (2011–15) (E-FACE), which aims to work with local government agencies (among others) to combat child labour, particularly by strengthening educational services aimed at sustainably reducing the number of children aged five to 17 years engaged in and at risk of child labour in target sectors and areas. The Committee notes, in this respect, that the E-FACE project targets 20,000 children (6,835 children at risk and 13,165 children engaged in child labour) and 7,000 households. Finally, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that it is in the process of conducting a national child labour survey in 2015 with ILO–IPEC assistance. The Committee requests the Government to continue to take measures to combat child labour, including within the framework of the National Action Plan (2011–17) and the E-FACE project, and to provide information on the results achieved in this regard. It also requests the Government to transmit the results of the 2015 child labour survey once they become available.