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

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Liberia (Ratification: 1959)

Article 1 of the Convention. Legislative developments. For more than 15 years, the Committee has been referring to the fact that there was no legislation or national policy to implement the Convention. The Committee notes with satisfaction the adoption in June 2015 of the Decent Work Act which provides comprehensive protection against discrimination in the private sector. Specifically, the Committee notes that sections 2.4 and 2.7 of the Act define and prohibit direct and indirect discrimination against all persons who work or who seek to work on all the grounds protected under Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention, as well as on a range of additional grounds including tribe, indigenous group, economic status, community, immigrant or temporary resident status, age, physical or mental disability, gender orientation, marital status or family responsibilities, pregnancy and health status including HIV or AIDS status. It also notes that section 2.7(a), which prohibits discrimination against a person “who works or who seeks to work in Liberia in an employment practice”, read together with section 2.9 of this Act, which defines “employment practice” broadly to include, inter alia, access to vocational training, access to employment, and particular occupations or jobs, including advertising, recruitment process, selection procedures, appointment, promotion, remuneration security of tenure and termination, extend the above prohibition to all aspects of employment. The Committee further notes that section 2.8 of the Act defines and prohibits both quid pro quo and hostile environment sexual harassment. The Committee welcomes the provisions concerning non-discrimination and equality in the Decent Work Act of 2015, and requests the Government to provide information on their application in practice, including details on specific obstacles encountered.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.