Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2004, published 93rd ILC session (2005)

Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958 (No. 111) - Central African Republic (Ratification: 1964)

1. Article 1 of the Convention. Sexual harassment. With reference to its general observation of 2002, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the status of any legislative or other measures taken or envisaged to combat sexual harassment at work.

2. Application in law. The Committee notes that article 1 of Constitutional Act No. 1, of 15 March 2003, repeals the Constitution of 14 January 1995. The Committee requests the Government to provide information with its next report on whether a new Constitution has been adopted and whether it ensures the principle of equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation.

3. The Committee notes from the Government’s report that a new draft Labour Code has been drafted. It notes the Government’s indication that section 8 of the draft Labour Code ensures equal opportunities in employment and occupation. It hopes that the new Labour Code will prohibit discrimination in employment and occupation on all grounds set out in Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention, namely race, colour, sex, religion, political opinion, national extraction or social origin. The Committee requests the Government to provide information with its next report on the progress made in the adoption of the new Labour Code and to provide a copy once it has been enacted.

4. Article 2. National policy on equality of opportunity and treatment. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the Central African Agency for Vocational Training and Employment (ACFPE) is the agency responsible for adopting and pursuing a national policy to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation. It notes the Government’s statement that the text of the Agency’s mandate has still not been adopted. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information with its next report on the mandate of the ACFPE and on measures that have been taken or envisaged to formulate and apply a national policy designed to promote equality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation.

5. Article 3(a). Tripartite consultations. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that tripartite consultations to promote the principle of equal opportunities in employment and occupation take place under the terms of the Code of the National Consultative Labour Committee (Code de la Commission Consultative National du Travail). It requests the Government to provide detailed information on the tripartite consultations undertaken and other measures taken or envisaged to promote the principle of equal opportunities in employment and occupation.

6. Article 3(b). Access to vocational training. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information with its next report on the measures taken or envisaged to improve the skill levels of women workers and of workers belonging to minority groups and their access to decision-making positions.

7. Article 4. Persons engaged in activities prejudicial to the security of the State. Noting that the Government’s report does not contain any information on this subject, the Committee reiterates the request that it has been making for many years for the Government to provide information and copies of legislative texts with its next report on the administrative provisions governing the employment or occupational activity of persons legitimately suspected of engaging in an activity liable to harm the security of State and the means of redress available to them, including any court decisions issued under such provisions.

8. Part V of the report form. Statistical information. The Committee notes the statement in the Government’s report under Convention No. 100 that the archives of statistical information were destroyed during the recent unrest in the country. It notes from the Government’s statement that a new statistical agency has become operational but that statistical information is still not available. The Committee hopes that the Government will once again be in a position to collect statistical information, in particular on the number of women and men employed in both the private sector and the public sector, including their occupations and level of responsibility. It points out in this connection that inequality of opportunity and treatment in employment and occupation are often overlooked because they are inadequately detected and recorded in statistics, which negatively affects the application of the Convention.