Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

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

Article 3(d) of the Convention. Hazardous work in the informal economy. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the increasing prevalence of child labour in the informal economy, in particular the small-scale gold mining sector. It also noted the Government’s indication, that a revision of the Decree on Labour Inspection had been approved by the tripartite Labour Advisory Board.

The Committee notes the Government’s information in its report that measures authorizing labour inspectors to inspect and supervise working conditions in the informal economy will be considered in a broader approach including measures to collaborate with other relevant enforcement mechanisms such as the police. With regard to the status of the process of ratification of the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), the Government indicates that the final draft of the legislation concerning this Convention has been sent to Parliament for approval. The Committee further notes from the Government’s report under the Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) that the draft revised Decree on Labour Inspection is currently awaiting approval by Parliament. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether the revised Decree on Labour Inspection contains any provision concerning the powers of the labour inspectors to inspect and supervise child labour in the informal economy. It also requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken by the labour inspectorate to collaborate with the police and other law enforcement agencies in this regard and their impact. The Committee finally requests the Government to provide updated information with regard to the ratification of Convention No. 138.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Prevent the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the various measures taken by the Government to improve access to basic education, including: waiving the enrolment fees for basic education for primary and secondary education, in particular for children belonging to indigenous and minority groups; and introducing a pilot 11-year basic education system to improve access to education, as well as measures to improve equal access to universal education for boys and girls through legislative and policy measures.

The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Ministry of Education evaluated and concluded that the 11-year basic education programme will not be feasible and therefore focus will be made to implement an eight-year compulsory education programme (for the age group of 4–12 years). Moreover, proposals for secondary education (for the age group of 12–16 years) will be made by the end of 2016. The Committee notes from the UNESCO statistics that the net enrolment rate at the primary level increased from 83.8 per cent in 2013 to 91.4 per cent in 2014. However, the transition rate from primary to secondary level was 69.7 per cent and the net enrolment at the secondary level was 49.14 per cent in 2013. Considering that education contributes to preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts to improve the functioning of the education system, in particular to increase the school enrolment, attendance and completion rates at the secondary level. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated information concerning the implementation of the eight-year basic education system as well as the proposals for secondary education made by the Ministry of Education.

Clause (b). Direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour and for their rehabilitation and social integration. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that Suriname is a destination, source and transit country for child victims of trafficking and working as commercial sex workers. It noted the Government’s indication that there was no available information on specific services for child victims of human trafficking and prostitution although there are general services provided by the Ministry of Justice and Police to provide assistance to crime victims. The Committee therefore urged the Government to intensify its efforts to ensure that appropriate services are available for the child victims, including their rehabilitation and social integration.

The Committee notes the following information provided by the Government with regard to the measures taken by the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons:

• -a shelter for child victims of trafficking has been set up;
• -an aggressive investigation and prosecution policy on criminal networks of child trafficking has been initiated;
• -services and protection are provided to child victims of trafficking by the Police Department and by the Security Service Suriname and social workers of the Bureau Victim Care within the Ministry of Justice and Social Affairs;
• -sensitization and training in recognizing victims of trafficking were provided to district commissioners, immigration officials, and labour inspectors.

The Committee notes, however, that the Human Rights Committee, in its concluding observations of 3 December 2015, expressed its concern at the difficulties of the victims of trafficking in receiving access to effective protection, shelter and reparation (CCPR/C/SUR/CO/3, paragraph 29). While noting the measures taken by the Government, the Committee requests the Government to strengthen its efforts to ensure that appropriate services are available for child victims of trafficking, including their rehabilitation and social integration. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard as well as the number of child victims of trafficking who have been removed from this worst form of child labour and provided shelter and services, including through the Interdepartmental Working Group on Trafficking in Persons.

Application in practice. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that one of the components of the ILO–IPEC Country-Level Engagement and Assistance to Reduce Child Labour (CLEAR) project, to which Suriname is a participating country, is to conduct a National Child Labour Survey (NCLS). According to the Government’s report, this NCLS will be conducted by the Institute for Science and Research. The Committee expresses the firm hope that the National Child Labour Survey, which will also include a module on the worst forms of child labour, will be conducted in the near future and that its findings will be made available. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in this regard.