Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Ethiopia (Ratification: 2003)

Articles 3(a) and 7(1) and 7(2)(b) of the Convention. Sale and trafficking of children, penalties, and rehabilitation. The Committee notes the Government’s reference in its report to the adoption in 2015 of the Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Proclamation No. 909 (Anti-Trafficking Act) that has replaced the relevant sections of the Criminal Code related to trafficking in persons. The Committee notes with interest that section 3(2) of the Anti-Trafficking Act makes it an aggravating circumstance if the victim of any of the crimes under this Act is a child and provides for a penalty of imprisonment from 25 years to life imprisonment. The Committee also notes the Government’s statement that several measures have been undertaken to combat trafficking in persons as a whole and women and children in particular, including: (i) the organization of awareness-raising campaigns within communities (to date more than 10 million community members have taken part in trainings on the issue of prevention of trafficking); (ii) the provision of training on the effects of child trafficking to law enforcement bodies; and (iii) the establishment of a control mechanism in transport services that aims to check whether children travelling in public transportation are with their parents or guardians.

The Committee observes, however, that in its 2015 concluding observations, the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) expressed its deep concern about the persistence of trafficking in children abroad and within the country for the purpose of domestic servitude, commercial sexual exploitation and exploitation in the worst forms of child labour. The CRC was also deeply concerned at the lack of rehabilitation and reintegration centres to provide child victims of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation with the adequate, age-sensitive medical and psychological assistance (CRC/C/ETH/CO/4-5, paragraph 69).

Regarding the establishment of rehabilitation centres for child victims of trafficking, the Committee observes that under section 26 of the Anti-Trafficking Act, the Government shall put in place necessary working procedures to identify, rescue, repatriate and rehabilitate victims of trafficking. Under section 39, a National Anti-Trafficking Committee aimed at coordinating the activities for victims’ protection has been established, as well as an Anti-trafficking Task Force to support the rehabilitation of victims of trafficking (section 40). The Committee encourages the Government to strengthen its efforts to ensure the effective application of the Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants Proclamation No. 909 of 2015 and to take the necessary measures to ensure that thorough investigations and prosecutions of persons who engage in the sale and trafficking of children are carried out and that effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice. The Committee requests the Government to provide information in this regard, including statistics on the number and nature of offences reported, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penal sanctions imposed with regard to the trafficking of children under 18 years. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the number of child victims of trafficking who have been identified and rehabilitated.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Child victims/orphans of HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable children (OVCs). The Committee previously noted the Government’s Orphan and Vulnerable Children programme with the involvement of relevant government bodies, NGOs and the community, as well as its small scale OVC care and support activities throughout the country. It also noted the Government’s reference to the National Plan of Action to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labour (2013–15) (NPA) and requested information in this regard.

The Committee once again notes an absence of information on this point in the Government’s report. The Committee notes that an ILO mission took place in Ethiopia in September 2016 as a follow-up to the March 2015 mission on implementation gaps in the application of the child labour Conventions. According to the mission report, the mapping of a new National Plan of Action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour, is ongoing.

The Committee also observes that, according to UNAIDS estimates, there are nearly 710,000 adults and children living with HIV/AIDS in Ethiopia, of whom 650,000 persons are aged 15 and over (2016 estimates). The Committee further notes that the CRC remained concerned that HIV/AIDS still remains a major challenge, particularly in the urban areas and for children in vulnerable situations, including orphans, children in street situations, and children living in poverty and in single parent and child headed households (CRC/C/ETH/CO/4-5, paragraph 57).

The Committee expresses its concern at the large number of children who are HIV/AIDS orphans in the country. The Committee recalls that OVCs are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour. The Committee therefore urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure that children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable children do not fall into the worst forms of child labour. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the results of the NPA (2013–15) on protecting children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, indicating for instance, the number of OVCs who have effectively been prevented from becoming engaged in the worst forms of child labour or removed from these worst forms. Lastly, the Committee requests the Government to indicate whether a new NPA has been adopted and, if so, to indicate its major outcomes.

Clause (e). Special situation of girls. Domestic work. The Committee previously noted that there were approximately 6,500–7,500 child domestic workers in Addis Ababa, who were subject to extreme exploitation, working long hours for minimal pay or modest food and shelter, and that they are vulnerable to physical and sexual abuse.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it is working on creating awareness amongst the family and community to prevent children from being exploited and to prevent families from rendering their children to strangers or relatives living in urban areas.

The Committee observes that, in its 2015 concluding observations the CRC was seriously concerned about the situation of child domestic workers, called seratenyas, of orphans and children in street situations, as well as of young girls moving to foreign countries and being economically exploited and abused (CRC/C/ETH/CO/4-5, paragraph 63). The Committee recalls that children engaged as domestic workers are particularly exposed to the worst forms of child labour. In this regard, the Committee requests the Government to take immediate and effective measures to protect child domestic workers, and girls in particular, from engaging in exploitative domestic work. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the effective and time-bound measures taken in this regard and on the results achieved.

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