Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Guyana (Ratification: 1998)

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy for the elimination of child labour, labour inspection and application of the Convention in practice. The Committee notes the Government’s information, in its report, on the continued application of the National Child Labour Policy (2019) and the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2019–25). It notes that, between 2023 and 2024, the Ministry of Labour undertook sustained actions to reduce child labour through labour inspections, public awareness campaigns, and inter-agency cooperation.

The Committee further notes that the Ministry of Labour conducted 3,900 workplace inspections in 2023 and 4,512 inspections in 2024, covering over 19,000 employees. The Government states that while no cases of child labour were formally detected during these inspections, labour officers were trained and mandated to screen for such cases as part of their routine inspection duties. The Government adds that, although a dedicated child labour inspectorate has not yet been established, inspectors have benefited from targeted training to recognize and respond to child labour indicators.

The Committee notes the Government’s acknowledgement that no new statistics are available on the employment of children under the age of 15, or on the number of young persons under 18 years old engaged in hazardous work.

The Committee notes that the Government is receiving ILO assistance under the Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2025-2030, which aims to provide strategic and technical support to the Ministry of Labour and other stakeholders for the formulation of a Country Acceleration Action Plan (CAAP). The Committee observes from the DWCP that this Action Plan includes strengthening tripartite engagement on child labour, tripartite monitoring, improving labour inspection through risk-based strategies, and improving data collection and analysis of relevant socio-economic indicators.

The Committee notes that in its 2024 concluding observations, the United Nations Human Rights Committee expressed its concern about the prevalence of child labour, particularly in rural and hinterland areas (CCPR/C/GUY/CO/3, para. 36). The Committee requests the Government to continue its efforts to ensure the progressive elimination of child labour in all economic activities. It requests the Government to provide information on:(i) the impact and results of the National Action Plan for the Elimination of Child Labour (2019–2025); (ii) the impact achieved under the DWCP 2025–2030, with regard to the progressive elimination of child labour; and (iii) the application of the Convention in practice, including updated statistical information on the employment of children below the age of 15 in the country and on the number of young persons under 18 years engaged in hazardous work.

Article 3(3). Authorization to work in hazardous employment from the age of 16 years. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that, with the technical assistance of the ILO, the Ministry of Labour is in the process of reviewing the Employment of Young Persons and Children Act (Chapter 99:01) as part of a comprehensive legislative review. The Government adds that the Act is expected to be brought into conformity with Article 3(3) of the Convention and that a copy of the amendment will be provided once adopted. The Committee expresses the firm hope that the Employment of Young Persons and Children Act (Chapter 99:01) will be amended and adopted in the near future, to ensure that young persons from aged 16–18 years may only be authorized to perform hazardous work on the conditions that their health, safety and morals are fully protected and that, in practice, they receive adequate specific vocational training, in conformity with Article 3(3) of the Convention. It requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in this regard and to provide a copy of the amendment of the Employment of Young Persons and Children Act (Chapter 99:01), once adopted.

Article 9(3). Keeping of registers. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, within the framework of the ongoing legislative review process conducted in collaboration with the ILO, the Ministry of Labour will address the amendment of national legislation to ensure that all employers, including those in non-industrial undertakings, are required to keep registers of all employed persons under the age of 18 years. The Committee expresses the hope that, in the context of the current legislative review, the Government will take into account the Committee’s comments and ensure that all employers, in both industrial and non-industrial undertakings, are obliged to keep registers of all persons below the age of 18 years employed by them or working for them. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the progress achieved in this regard, and to supply a copy of the amended legislation once adopted.