Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2017, published 107th ILC session (2018)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Costa Rica (Ratification: 1976)

The Committee notes the observations of the Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers (CCTD), communicated with the Government’s report.

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy and application of the Convention in practice. In its previous comments, the Committee took due note of the 2010–20 Roadmap for the prevention and eradication of child labour and its worst forms, developed in coordination with ILO/IPEC to succeed the 2010 National Plan of Action.

The Committee notes that, according to the CCTD’s observations, the number of children working in the informal economy has increased.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that the elimination of child labour is set out in the National Development Plan “Alberto Cañas Escalante” 2015–18. Within the framework of the Plan, the Office for Action on and the Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Work by Young Persons (OATIA) has undertaken action in coordination with other institutions to raise the awareness of the various social actors working with young persons. The Committee also notes that the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MTSS) is responsible for action to follow up the Roadmap and has undertaken 127 follow-up and evaluation actions. The Committee also notes that, according the Government, the National Household Survey (ENAHO) for 2016 showed a reduction in the number of young persons between the ages of 5 and 14 years of age engaged in work, with their numbers falling from 16,160 children between the ages of 5 and 14 years (2.2 per cent) in 2011, to 8,071 (1.1 per cent) in 2016.

The Committee takes due note of the efforts made by the Government for the implementation of the programme measures to reduce child labour. However, it notes that in practice children continue to be engaged in child labour. Indeed, according to the Government’s report on the application of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), the OATIA has reported 100 cases of child labour involving children under 15 years of age and 337 cases of young persons between 15 and 17 years of age engaged in a hazardous or unhealthy activity. The Committee therefore once again requests the Government to continue intensifying its efforts, within the framework of the Roadmap for the prevention and eradication of child labour, to eliminate the engagement of young persons in hazardous types of work. It also requests the Government to continue providing detailed statistics on the nature, extent and trends of work by children and young persons who have not reached the minimum age specified by the Government when ratifying the Convention, namely 15 years.