Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Georgia (Ratification: 2002)

Article 7(2)(b). Direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour and for their rehabilitation and social integration. Street children. The Committee previously noted the various measures taken by the Government to protect street children from the worst forms of child labour.

The Committee notes the Government’s information that within the framework of the Trafficking in Persons National Action Plan for 2015–16, preventive measures and awareness-raising campaigns are carried out on issues related to trafficking in persons, especially for children working and living on streets. The Government indicates that, since 2014, within the framework of the Social Rehabilitation and Child Care Programme, a subprogramme on providing shelter and psycho-social rehabilitation and integration for street children is being implemented. Currently, four care centres, two crisis intervention shelters, two transit centres as well as mobile group services providing 24-hour services to street and homeless children are operational within this subprogramme. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that 400 children working and living on the streets of Tbilisi and Kutaisi/Imereti region benefited from the above services.

The Committee further notes the Government’s information that the Ministry of Education and Science, in close cooperation with international organizations and other stakeholders of the education sector, initiated several measures to ensure accessibility of the education system for all children, especially for children belonging to marginalized groups and children from an ethnic minority background, including Roma. In this regard, the Social Model of Inclusive Education and the subprogramme on the “Second Opportunity to receive education for children outside of the learning process” is providing education to the most vulnerable groups of children, including children involved in child labour and victims of sexual exploitation. The Committee finally notes the Government’s indication that a special educational service for street children, especially those who are involved in prostitution and begging, will be implemented by the end of 2015. This service will provide an opportunity to children living and working on the street, who are not enrolled in school, or are enrolled but have learning and integration problems with their peers, to develop age-appropriate basic and vital academic skills in a specific environment. The Committee requests the Government to continue to take effective and time-bound measures to protect children living and working on the streets, in particular Roma children, from the worst forms of child labour and to provide for their rehabilitation and social integration. It also requests the Government to continue providing information on the number of street children rehabilitated through the Social Rehabilitation and Child Care Sub-Programme. It further requests the Government to provide information on the number of children who have benefited from the inclusive education programmes and the special educational service for street children and other vulnerable groups of children.

Application in practice. The Committee notes the statistical data provided by the Government concerning the judicial proceedings undertaken for the offences related to trafficking of children. According to this data, from 2013 until August 2015, the police department started investigation of six cases related to trafficking of children, including four cases for sexual exploitation and two cases for forced labour. Of the three persons arrested for the above offences, two of them were sentenced to 14 years imprisonment and the other person was sentenced to imprisonment for 11 years and six months. With regard to offences related to the sexual exploitation of children, two cases were investigated in 2014, and one person who was arrested was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment.