Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Cameroon (Ratification: 2002)

Article 7(2) of the Convention. Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the involvement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee previously noted that Presidential Decree No. 2001/041 establishes the right to free education but that in practice additional school fees and the cost of books and uniforms were prohibitive for many families and were cited as the main reason for school drop-outs. The Committee also noted the statement of the Government representative of Cameroon to the Committee on the Application of Standards at the 104th Session of the International Labour Conference in June 2015 that the average school enrolment rate was over 80 per cent, and even 95 per cent in some regions, stressing that the problems encountered in the Far North region were due to the war against Boko Haram. The Committee also noted the measures taken by the Government to integrate more children in the education system but also noted the inadequacy of these efforts and the significant number of children who remain out of school.

The Committee notes that the United Nations Economic and Social Council, in its concluding observations of 2019, again expressed concern at the numerous challenges that remain with regard to the effective enjoyment of the right to education in Cameroon, especially the decline in the primary school enrolment rate, the low school enrolment rate for girls, the lack of adequate school infrastructure, the cost of primary education, and acts of violence directed at teachers, students and parents in areas affected by the security crises in the Far North, North-West and South-West regions of the country (E/C.12/CMR/CO/4, paragraph 60).

The Committee notes that the chief objective of the current national plan for education in Cameroon – namely, the “Strategy paper for the education and training sector 2013-20” – is to achieve high-quality universal primary education, by improving access and equity, quality and relevance, and governance and management of the sector. In this regard, the Committee notes the information in the Government’s report on measures taken to enhance access to primary education free of charge, including granting the “minimum package” for schools, allocating operational credits to schools and implementing the sectoral contingency plan (emergency plan for areas affected by the conflicts). In addition, the Government reports on its policy for the development of the education system, including: (i) increasing school infrastructure and improving the “school card”; (ii) setting up food assistance programmes for schoolchildren from vulnerable families and communities, including in the Far North region; (iii) establishing programmes to encourage school enrolment for girls; (iv) improving living and working conditions for teachers; (v) promoting inclusive education; and (vi) reinforcing the technical and pedagogical capacities of teachers. In view of the fact that education plays a key role in preventing the involvement of children in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to continue taking all necessary steps to improve the functioning of the education system and to ensure that basic education is actually free of charge, particularly in the most vulnerable regions, namely the Far North, North-West and South-West. The Committee also requests the Government to provide detailed information on the results achieved, particularly with regard to school enrolment and completion rates, disaggregated by age and gender.

Clause (d). Children at special risk. 1. Street children. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that the involvement of children in street activities was a major social concern in large cities and certain agglomerations in the country. It also noted that the Ministry of Social Affairs is responsible for preventing and combating the phenomenon of street children and that a number of actions had been undertaken in favour of street children. However, the Government had pointed to a number of problems, including the lack of financial and material resources to meet the needs of street children, as well as inadequate human resources in terms of both quantity and quality.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the National Commission for young offenders, abandoned children or children in moral danger – established through Decree No. 90/524 of 23 March 1990 – is mandated to issue opinions and make suggestions on any issue relating to policy on children’s matters and to prevent and address problems of social integration for young persons. The Government indicates that the strategy of the institutional stakeholders consists of combining: (i) prevention, protection and assistance for street children; (ii) mobilization of resources in favour of street children; (iii) education for street children; (iv) defence of the rights of street children and punishment for the perpetrators of offences against these children; (v) promotion of the socio-economic integration of urban young persons in difficulties; (vi) defence of minors’ right to work, including action against the worst forms of child labour; and (vii) registration of street children at birth. Community stakeholders report any cases involving street children and carry out community awareness-raising. The Government indicates that these measures enabled the identification of 599 street children in 2020, of whom 347 were reintegrated into society through returning to their families or being placed in specialist institutions and training centres. The Committee therefore requests the Government to continue its efforts to protect street children. It also requests the Government to continue providing detailed information on the measures taken, particularly by the National Commission for young offenders, abandoned children or children in moral danger, and on the results achieved, especially in terms of the number of street children who have been identified, withdrawn from the streets and integrated into society.

2. Child domestic workers. The Committee previously noted that a survey on child domestic labour had revealed a predominance of girls (70 per cent) with an average age of 15 years, and also dangerous working conditions (for 85 per cent of children). The survey had also indicated that, although social services exist in Cameroon, the absence of an overall policy, aggravated by the lack of statistics, makes it impossible to assess precisely the impact of these services on child domestic workers. The shortcomings identified included the absence of public or private structures specifically dedicated to the protection of child domestic workers and the lack of a strategy for the elimination of child labour in domestic work.

The Committee notes the Government’s indications that the ratification process for the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), is continuing, and the revision of the list of hazardous types of work for children is under way and concerns all sectors of activity, including domestic work. However, the Committee notes that the Government has been referring to the revision of the list of hazardous types of work for years. The Committee therefore once again notes with regret that the Government does not provide any new information on the implementation of measures to protect children under 18 years of age from the worst forms of child labour in the domestic work sector. In view of the fact that child domestic workers are particularly exposed to the worst forms of child labour, the Committee once again urges the Government to take effective time-bound measures to protect these children from hazardous work and to ensure their access to education. It requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken in this regard, giving particular attention to the situation of girls.

Article 8. International cooperation. 1. Regional cooperation concerning the sale and trafficking of children. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that the trafficking of children in Cameroon has an international dimension involving young persons from Nigeria and the Central African Republic. The Committee noted with regret that the Government made no mention of any progress on regional cooperation relating to the sale and trafficking of children, or on the impact of such cooperation.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, because of the worsening security situation in the North-West and South-West regions and also because of the closure of some borders of countries in the subregion (Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Congo) owing to the COVID-19 health crisis, mobilization in the regions has been difficult for conducting joint collaborative actions to combat the cross-border trafficking of children. While noting the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee recalls that, under Article 8 of the Convention, international cooperation and mutual assistance are particularly important in order to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of child labour, including the sale and trafficking of children. In view of the scale of cross-border trafficking in the country, the Committee strongly encourages the Government to take steps to ensure that bilateral agreements on the trafficking of persons are signed with neighbouring countries and to provide information on the funds allocated to such agreements. It requests the Government to supply information in this respect, and also on the impact of any regional cooperation on the number of child victims of sale and trafficking who have been intercepted and integrated into society. This information should, as far as possible, be disaggregated by the age and gender of the victims, and also by the purpose of the trafficking (for example, labour exploitation or sexual exploitation).

2. Poverty reduction. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that Cameroon planned to reduce poverty and, as a result, to reduce significantly the worst forms of child labour through the implementation of the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP) 2010–20. It also noted that, in October 2014, Cameroon and the ILO signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP), whose key components are based on the GESP. The Committee also noted that, through the National Action Plan for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (PANETEC), it was planned to incorporate the issue of child labour in the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of DWCP policies and programmes in order to make them more relevant.

The Committee once again notes with regret that the Government does not provide any information on the measures implemented under all these programmes or on their impact on poverty reduction and the elimination of child labour. Noting once again that poverty reduction programmes contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty, which is essential for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, the Committee urges the Government to provide information on the specific measures taken as part of the implementation of the DWCP and GESP policies and programmes, reinforced by the PANETEC, for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour in Cameroon.