Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - United Arab Emirates (Ratification: 2001)

Articles 3 and 7(1) of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour and penalties. Clause (a). Slavery and practices similar to slavery. Sale and trafficking of children. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information in its report that following the adoption of the Federal Law No. 51 of 2016 and its amendments on Combatting Crimes of Human Trafficking, a National Committee to Combat Human Trafficking (NCCHT) has been established and an anti-trafficking campaign has been launched. The members of the National Committee include representatives from relevant Ministries, law enforcement authorities and civil society organizations. The Committee also notes that in 2018, 9 persons were accused of child trafficking, in particular the sale of children, and two of them were deported from the country. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the number of infringements reported, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penal sanctions applied for violations of the legal prohibition on the sale and trafficking of children under the Federal Law of 2016 on Combatting Crimes of Human Trafficking.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (b). Direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour, and for their rehabilitation and social integration. Child victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that the “Aman” Centre for Women and Children was established in 2017 as a shelter to protect all victims of trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation and violence in the family and society. The shelter provides a range of services, including health, social and legal services. The Government also indicates that a number of initiatives have been launched to provide assistance to child victims of trafficking, including: (i) the “Child Protection Oasis” initiative, which is an integrated centre specialized in the investigation of cases of child trafficking and furnished with child-friendly equipment that helps children to overcome any psychological barrier and to impact them positively; (ii) the “You Are Not Alone” initiative, which is a programme that provided support to 19 child victims of trafficking between 2015 and 2018 in collaboration with the civil society organizations in the country; and (iii) the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children (DFWAC) that has designed a smart electronic programme which allows victims’ files to be circulated quickly among different authorities and without any administrative impediments, thus speeding up procedures and reducing waiting time and enabling victims to receive services readily and easily from the various authorities. The Committee encourages the Government to pursue its efforts to take effective and time-bound measures for the prevention, removal and rehabilitation of child victims of trafficking. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken to provide assistance to child victims of trafficking as well as on the number of child victims of trafficking who have been received and rehabilitated in the Aman Centre for Women and Children.