Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2023, published 112nd ILC session (2024)

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

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Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). Sale and trafficking of children. The Committee notes the Government’s indication, in its report, that in 2021, 13 prosecutions were initiated under section 206 (trafficking of children) of the Criminal Code, following which 6 indictments were filed in court and 25 persons were sentenced to imprisonment. The Committee also notes that according to the 2020 report of the Group of Experts on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings by the Republic of Moldova, an increasing number of trafficking cases concerned children from rural areas communicating via social networks or websites offering job opportunities. The GRETA further indicated challenges in the investigation of such cases due to lack of evidence (para. 199). The Committee requests the Government to continue to take the necessary measures to ensure that all cases of child trafficking are subject to thorough investigations with a view to ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the application of section 206 of the Criminal Code in practice, including the number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties imposed.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (b). Direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour. Trafficking of children. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that in 2021, 22 child victims of trafficking, including 21 girls and 1 boy, were identified. According to the Government, 19 child victims were trafficked within the Republic of Moldova, including for the purposes of labour exploitation (7 child victims) and sexual exploitation (1 child victim). The Government also indicates that the assistance and protection centres for victims of trafficking provided 19 children with assistance services in 2021. In addition, the Public Association International Centre “La Strada” provided various services to child victims of trafficking, including medical and psychological assistance.

The Committee notes the Report on Observance of Child’s Rights in 2021 of the People’s Advocate (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Moldova indicating that a mechanism for intersectoral cooperation in identifying, assessing, referring and assisting child victims and potential victims of violence, neglect, exploitation and trafficking (adopted by the Government’s Decree No. 270 of 2014) is often not applied or is applied defectively in practice (page 52). The Committee further notes that in its 2020 report, the GRETA urged the Moldovan authorities to strengthen their efforts to improve the identification of, and assistance to, child victims, in particular by strengthening the capacity of child protection professionals (para. 205). The GRETA also urged the authorities to ensure that all child victims of trafficking, including children older than 14, are in practice afforded special protection measures (para. 151). The Committee requests the Government to step up its efforts to ensure that all child victims of trafficking are removed from the worst form of child labour and provided with appropriate services for their rehabilitation and social integration. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the number of child victims of trafficking who have been removed and provided with assistance.

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