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

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Rwanda (Ratification: 1981)

The Committee notes with concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments.

Repetition

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy on the effective abolition of child labour and the application of the Convention in practice. The Committee previously noted that a National Policy on Elimination of Child Labour and its five-year Action Plan (NAP) was adopted in March 2013. The Committee noted with interest the achievements within the framework of the implementation of the NAP, including training on the NAP and child labour legislation and the establishment of steering committees on the elimination of child labour at national and district level with the support of ILO–IPEC. Moreover, 105 children were removed from child labour in agriculture, and a total of 8,575 children were withdrawn from exploitative child labour in other sectors and reintegrated into formal school and vocational training. However, the Committee noted that, according to the findings of the integrated household living conditions survey of 2010–11 which was conducted by the National Institute of Statistics, of the total estimated 3,423,374 children in the age group of 6–17 years, 110,742 children were working outside their own households, of which 39,260 children between the ages of 6–15 years.

The Committee notes the Government’s information in its report that the Ministerial Guidelines No. 02 of 10 May 2016 aimed at preventing and combating child labour establish penalties for parents and employers who use child labour. The Committee also notes that within the framework of the NPA and in cooperation with the Rain Forest Alliance and Save the Children, from 2015 to 2016, among children withdrawn from child labour, 2,700 were re-integrated in formal education and provided with uniforms and other scholastic materials, while 950 children aged between 16 and 17 years were reintegrated in vocational training centres, especially in Model Farm Schools (MFS). Moreover, 461 girls were withdrawn from child labour and provided with skills training in other sectors, such as tailoring, knitting and hairdressing. The Government also indicates that members of the steering committees at the district level were provided with training on the Child Labour Monitoring System. The Committee therefore encourages the Government to continue its efforts to ensure the progressive elimination of child labour. It requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken and the results achieved in this regard, particularly in the context of implementation of the NAP. The Committee also requests the Government to provide a copy of the Ministerial Guidelines No. 02 of 10 May 2016.

Article 2(1). Scope of application. Children working in the informal sector. With regard to children working in the informal sector, the Committee refers to its detailed comments under the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).

Article 8. Artistic performances. The Committee previously noted the Government’s indication that the Ministerial Order regulating the participation of children in artistic performances was being elaborated and should be submitted for adoption.

The Committee notes that the Ministerial Order has not been adopted yet. The Committee once again expresses the firm hope that the Ministerial Order regulating artistic performances will be adopted in the near future. It requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in this regard, and to provide a copy once it has been adopted.