Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Russian Federation (Ratification: 1956)
Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 - Russian Federation (Ratification: 2019)

Articles 1(1), 2(1) and 25 of the Convention. Trafficking in persons. (i) Legal framework and law enforcement. The Committee observes that the Government has not provided information on the measures taken to ensure better coordination to prevent and supress trafficking in persons. It notes from the Government’s report on the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) that under section 127.1 (trafficking in persons) of the Penal Code, 11 persons were convicted in 2022, 16 in 2021, and 16 in 2020. Under section 127.2 (use of forced labour) of the Penal Code, two persons were convicted in 2022, no one in 2021, and two in 2020.

The Committee further notes that in its 2021 concluding observations, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) expressed concern about the absence of a national action plan on trafficking and a coordination entity at the federal level (CEDAW/C/RUS/CO/9). The Committee once again requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken to strengthen the legal and institutional framework to combat trafficking in persons, for both labour and sexual exploitation, as well as ensure better coordination among the relevant State structures with a view to combating trafficking in persons effectively. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the application in practice of section 127.1 of the Penal Code, in particular the number of investigations and prosecutions carried out as well as the convictions and penalties applied.

(ii) Protection and reintegration of victims. The Committee notes the indication by the Government that a social services institutions network has been established under the jurisdiction of the executive authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The social services institutions include, amongst others, social assistance centres for families and children and psychological and pedagogical assistance centres for the public.

The Committee notes that in its 2021 concluding observations, the UN CEDAW expressed concern about the absence of a system for early identification and referral of victims of trafficking to appropriate services as well as the lack of adequately funded shelters and medical, social and legal services, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for victims of trafficking (CEDAW/C/RUS/CO/9). The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken to ensure the identification, protection and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking, including the types and nature of assistance provided. It requests the Government to provide data on the number of victims of trafficking who have been identified and provided with assistance.

Article 2(2)(c). (i) Public works. The Committee observes that under section 49 of the Penal Code, the penalty of public work consists of an obligation to perform socially useful work during a period from 60 to 480 hours. As per section 3.13 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, public work shall be performed for a period from 20 to 200 hours. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the nature of institutions for which offenders may be requested to perform public work, and to provide examples of the types of public work that may be required, both under the Penal Code and the Code of Administrative Offenses.

(ii) Correctional work (punitive deduction of earnings). The Committee observes that, as per section 50 of the Penal Code, the penalty of correctional work may be made for a period from two months to two years. Correctional work may be performed at the offender’s main place of work and up to 20 per cent of his/her earnings is collected for the State (section 50 of the Penal Code). According to section 40 of the Code on the Execution of Penal Sentences, convicted persons shall not be allowed to leave work at their own will without permission from the probation service. In case a convicted person, who does not have a main place of work, shall carry out correctional work in places determined by local self-government bodies in coordination with the probation service (section 50 of the Penal Code). Convicted persons shall not have the right to refuse the work offered to them (section 40 of the Code on the Execution of Penal Sentences). The Committee requests the Government to indicate: (i) the cases in which the permission to leave employment may be refused by the probation service; (ii) the manner in which the penalty of correctional work is executed when a convicted person is not employed or leaves his/her employment.