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

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Côte d'Ivoire (Ratification: 2003)

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy and application of the Convention in practice. In its previous comments, the Committee noted with concern the high number of children under the minimum age for admission to work of 14 years that were engaged in work, particularly under hazardous conditions. It requested the Government to provide statistical data related to the nature, extent and trends of work by children and young persons under the minimum age specified by the Government when it ratified the Convention, and extracts from the reports of the inspection services.

The Committee takes due note of the information in the Government’s report, according to which the observation and monitoring system for child labour in Côte d’Ivoire (SOSTECI), under the coordination of the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection, which is in place in 111 departments, 42 sub-prefectures and 304 villages in Côte d’Ivoire, achieved inter alia: (1) the adoption of an “African Standard 1000 for sustainable cocoa” (ARS1000), which sets out the specific criteria for respecting workers’ rights; (2) the adoption and implementation of the strategy for sustainable cocoa farming, which is based on three main pillars, of which one is combating child labour; and (3) the establishment of a national traceability system which makes it possible to determine the origin of coffee and cocoa products at each level of the marketing circuit.

The Committee notes that the statistical data relative to the nature, extent and trends of work by children and young persons under the minimum age of 14 years and the extracts from the reports of the inspection services are under consolidation. The Committee requests the Government to intensify its efforts to ensure the progressive elimination of child labour in the country. It further requests the Government to continue to provide information on the application of the Convention in practice, especially information gathered by the SOSTECI. It again requests the Government to provide information on the statistical data related to the nature, extent and trends of work by children and young persons, and extracts from the reports of the inspection services.

Articles 6 and 7. Apprenticeships and light work In its previous comments, the Committee observed a divergence within the legislation of Côte d’Ivoire: while section 23(2) of the new Labour Code (Act No. 2015-532 of 2015) sets the age of apprenticeship at 14 years, section 3 of Decree No. 96-204 of 7 March 1996 on night work, allows children under 14 years of age to be admitted to apprenticeship or pre-vocational training, provided they are not engaged in work during the period defined as night work, or, as a general rule, during the period of 15 consecutive hours between 5 p.m. and 8 a.m.

The Committee notes from the Government’s report that the draft revision of Decree No. 96-204 of 7 March 1996 is ongoing, with a view to aligning it with the new Labour Code and setting the age of entry to apprenticeship at 14 years in all the national legislation. The Committee once again hopes that the Government will take the necessary measures as soon as possible to bring Decree No. 96-204 of 1996 into conformity with the Convention and thus set the age of entry to apprenticeship at 14 years. It requests the Government to provide information in this regard.