Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Syrian Arab Republic (Ratification: 2003)

Individual Case (CAS) - Discussion: 2026, Publication: 114th ILC session (2026)

Written information provided by the Government

The Government wishes to express its appreciation to the International Labour Organization for its early notification mechanism and reaffirms its unwavering commitment to transparency and constructive engagement with the Organization’s supervisory bodies.

Context: A fundamental transformation of circumstances

The Government underlines that the observations of the Committee of Experts for 2026 were based largely on information from the pre-liberation period (prior to December 2024), that is, the era of the defunct regime. The Government, which assumed its responsibilities at the beginning of 2025, operates on an entirely new foundation: human rights, the rule of law and transitional justice. All responses below are grounded in concrete measures implemented since the liberation.

Article 3(a) and Article 7(1): Compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict and penalties

• Critical development: With the fall of the defunct regime and the dissolution of its affiliated militias, the phenomenon of compulsory recruitment of children has been brought to an end.
• Strict safeguards: The Government has taken immediate action. Service in the army and internal security forces is now entirely voluntary, and attaining the age of 18 is the sole and mandatory condition for such service.
• Accountability and transitional justice: A National Investigative Commission has been established to address crimes committed against children during the defunct regime era. This Commission is tasked with documenting past violations, including the crime of child recruitment, and with submitting case files to the competent judicial authorities, which will try those implicated in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Article 7(2)(a): Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour and ensuring education

• Ensuring access to education: The Government has launched an emergency national education plan, the “All for Education” campaign (2025), to ensure the return of all out-of-school children. Concrete results achieved by April 2026 include:
• rehabilitation and reopening of 2,236 schools;
• return to school of over 500,000 children;
• return to teaching of 38,000 teachers;
• the proportion of girls in general education has reached 50.2 per cent, demonstrating the Government’s commitment to girls’ right to education as a key preventive tool against child labour and early marriage.
• Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour:
• The National Case Management System (Decree No. 1483 of 14 July 2024) has been significantly operationalized. “Child labour situation” is now recognized as a primary entry point for intervention, whereby a child removed from labour is referred directly to intensive education or vocational rehabilitation programmes.
• The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour has launched its Strategic Plan for 2026–28, the key components of which include: (i) an economic and social empowerment programme for women; (ii) a programme to promote decent work; (iii) enhancing corporate social responsibility; and (iv) a programme to facilitate the transition from the informal to the formal economy.
• Strengthening compliance through awareness-raising and the development of labour inspection services to enhance transparency and integrity. To this end, the following has been achieved: 794 awareness-oriented inspection visits in the industrial and commercial sectors; 370 visits in the agricultural sector; and 1,134 visits related to occupational safety and health.
• A total of 29,456 workers have been registered with the social security system.
• Capacity-building for labour inspection and social security staff has been carried out in collaboration with the ILO Office in Damascus.

Article 7(2)(a) and (b): Identification, rehabilitation and reintegration of children

• Combating begging as one of the worst forms of child labour: A National Committee to address begging has been established by a decision of the Council of Ministers. Fifteen joint security campaigns have been carried out since 30 November 2025, resulting in:
• identification of 465 cases of begging involving children;
• placement of all identified children in qualified social welfare centres (including the Al-Kiswah Institute for Beggars, following its renovation and rehabilitation), instead of punitive prosecution;
• provision of psychosocial and vocational rehabilitation programmes for these children, in preparation for their reintegration into education or vocational training.
• Work has commenced on a national employment and vocational training strategy to ensure the availability of decent work opportunities.
• Social dialogue with workers’ and employers’ organizations has been adopted as a foundation for enhancing compliance, ensuring effective implementation of the law and updating applicable laws and regulations.
• Strengthening inspection and compliance: The Ministry has intensified unannounced inspection campaigns (as detailed under point 2 above).

Article 3(a): Sale and trafficking of children (including for sexual exploitation)

• Operationalizing mechanisms: The Government has reactivated the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Persons (chaired by the Ministry of the Interior) and adopted a new National Action Plan (2024–26) focusing on the protection of child victims of prostitution and sexual exploitation.
• Judicial prosecutions: Law enforcement authorities are dealing firmly with child trafficking offences. A total of 250 new arrests were recorded in the second half of 2025 concerning trafficking and smuggling of children, all of which are under investigation and prosecution before the competent judiciary.

Conclusion and request

The Government does not submit this note as a defensive response to the past, but rather as a progress report on achievements made in a record period of time. The circumstances on the ground upon which the Committee of Experts’ observations were based have been fundamentally transformed. The Government affirms its full capacity and readiness to cooperate with the ILO and requests technical assistance in two specific areas: (i) the training of national trainers in the field of labour inspection and the governance of inspection activities; and (ii) providing technical, logistical and advisory support in the areas of policy development and strategy formulation for inspection, employment, vocational training and wages.

On the basis of the foregoing, we submit that the exceptional efforts undertaken by the new Government warrant the non-inclusion of the Syrian Arab Republic on the final list of cases to be examined by the Committee during the 114th Session of the International Labour Conference.

Discussion by the Committee

Chairperson – The second case this morning relates to the application of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), by the Syrian Arab Republic. There are 27 speakers on the list for the discussion of this case, and the Officers have therefore decided to reduce the speaking time for individual delegations from five to three minutes. I now invite the Government representative of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Director-General of the General Establishment for Social Insurance, to take the floor.

Interpretation from Arabic: Government representative – We stand before your Committee today not to defend past practices associated to the foregone era, but to present an honest report of tangible results achieved on the ground in a relatively short period of time to strengthen the protection of children and advance compliance with relevant international labour standards.

Further to the written information we submitted to the Committee on 18 May 2026, we would like to point out, once again, that the observations contained in the 2026 report of the Committee of Experts on which the list of individual cases was based, and the Syrian Arab Republic was thus included in it, largely refers to events that occurred under the former regime, which came to an end in December 2024. That regime was marked by grave violations including the recruitment of children by the regime. Today, however, the Syrian Arab Republic is witnessing a completely different path. Our Government puts the rule of law, respect for human rights and the achievement of transitional justice at the heart of its action and priorities.

The concept of decent work, as translated in ILO standards, is in alignment with the direction our Government has taken, its vision of a vibrant and dynamic labour market characterized by balanced and stable industrial relations and based on effective social dialogue between representatives of workers, the Government and employers. We do not deny the existence of challenges. The legacy of the former regime remains a heavy one, especially given the pernicious socio-economic and psychological effects on our people. However, honest intentions and political will were stronger than these challenges, and the institutional reform that is ongoing by the Government has led to many achievements in a brief period of time. The achievements include, but are not limited to, the following: for instance, we have increased wages by 250 per cent and raised the general minimum wage more than fivefold. We have drafted legislative amendments to the Labour Code and the Social Security Code to enhance workers’ basic rights and to promote and develop the labour market. We have promoted compliance with the law through raising awareness of laws and regulations governing industrial relations. We have strengthened transparency in labour market oversight through efficient and effective institutions responsible for labour inspection, social security and occupational safety and health. As a result, more than 2,200 labour inspection visits were carried out, leading to the registration of 29,456 workers in the social security system. We have also promoted government strategic planning. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour has launched its Strategic Plan for 2026–28, which includes the Child’s Protection Programme to address, among other things, the child begging phenomenon; an economic empowerment programme for women to promote decent work; and a programme to integrate workers of the informal economy into the social security system.

We have also constructively participated at the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, held in February 2026 in Marrakesh, which enabled us to profit from best international experiences in this field.

I would also like to particularly thank the ILO for its cooperation, its constructive cooperation with the Syrian Arab Republic. especially in the fields related to job creation and supporting economic recovery, promoting social protection including social security and decent work, promoting labour market governance and promoting the relevant institutions in this regard and building staff capacities to consolidate their skills and expertise with regard to the needs in the labour market.

As to the Committee of Experts’ observations, we would like to reiterate the following explanation once more: the data and facts being referred to are from the pre-liberation period and are closely connected to the practices of the former regime and its violations of the relevant Conventions, especially the Convention under consideration.

Therefore, the Government sees that it is important to view these observations and to read them in light of the country’s political and institutional transition. It is important to respond to the following points. First, regarding the crime of child recruitment in armed conflict, this phenomenon has practically ended with the fall of the previous regime and the dissolution of its affiliated militias. Military service is now entirely voluntary, and strict oversight safeguards have been put in place at all recruitment points to prohibit the admission of any person below the age of 18.

A National Investigative Commission has also been established to investigate crimes committed against children. The Commission is mandated to document violations and refer case files to the competent judicial authorities for prosecution in accordance with the law.

Second, regarding protection and education mechanisms, the Government has launched a national campaign called “All for Education”, the impact of which is already visible on the ground. As part of this initiative, 2,236 schools have been rehabilitated and reopened, enabling more than half a million children to return to school, 50.2 per cent of whom are girls. These efforts contribute not only to improving access to education but also to preventing early marriage and combating child labour. In addition, 38,000 teachers and school administrators have returned to their jobs which contributed to supporting the stability of the education system and its sustainability.

Third, on the question of an integrated system to rescue and rehabilitate children, in collaboration with our partners, we have initiated an operational process to close the Al-Hol camp and facilitated the transfer of large numbers of orphans and vulnerable children to centres operated by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour in order to provide them with protection and social integration. In these centres, children were immediately enrolled in intensive education, rehabilitation and psychosocial support programmes, with a view to facilitating their reintegration into their communities and ensuring their well-being and development. Moreover, in collaboration with our national and international partners, we have operationalized a national case management system through which a situation of child labour is now recognized as a priority area for intervention, including in the context of efforts to address child begging, which is considered one of the worst forms of child labour. Fifteen targeted campaigns were carried out, resulting in the removal of 465 children from street situations. These children were subsequently placed in specialized social welfare centres, which were renovated and equipped to provide the necessary care, protection and psychosocial support services. The Government has also intensified awareness-raising efforts on labour legislation and strengthened labour market monitoring and enforcement mechanisms aimed at reducing informality and preventing situations in which children are vulnerable to exploitation.

Fourth, regarding the fight against trafficking and sexual exploitation, the Government has reactivated the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Persons and adopted a new action plan aimed at strengthening the protection of children from trafficking and sexual exploitation. Within this framework, 250 arrests related to child trafficking offences were made during the second half of 2025. All cases have been referred to the competent judicial authorities and are currently being prosecuted in accordance with the law.

In conclusion, we reiterate the full commitment of the Government to the ILO’s Conventions, including Convention No. 182. This commitment stems from our conviction that the children of the Syrian Arab Republic are the country’s future and that their protection is a national and ethical responsibility that is directly connected to the path of recovery and the reconstruction of our State and the rule of law in it. We reiterate that, despite the challenges left by the former regime, we have achieved a lot during a record time, which reflects our true will to drive change and reform, foster cooperation and ensure compliance with relevant labour standards. The Government reiterates its willingness to continue cooperating with the ILO and its different mechanisms. We hope that these measures and ongoing reforms in our country will be assessed objectively and in a balanced manner within the framework of this case, reflecting the progress made in strengthening the protection of children and the effective realization of their rights.

Worker members – The elimination of the worst forms of child labour constitutes one of the fundamental pillars of the ILO’s mandate. The Convention, adopted in 1999 and ratified by the Syrian Arab Republic in 2003, requires Member States to adopt immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. It is also an instrument of historical importance after having reached universal ratification in 2020.

This case has never been examined by our Committee, although the Committee of Experts has been making observations on it for several years. It is therefore important to highlight that the Government has recently displayed a more constructive attitude towards the ILO supervisory mechanisms, resuming dialogue and providing additional information. Furthermore, we have listened attentively to the statements before this Conference by the Minister of Social Affairs and Labour, Ms Hind Kabawat, who emphasized the Government’s desire to make progress in the recovery and build genuine partnerships with the ILO to promote decent work.

The Worker members recognize these efforts, and we are aware of the enormous difficulties facing the country after years of conflict. The Syrian Arab Republic continues to navigate a complex and fragile period of recovery. We know, as indicated by Minister Kabawat at the plenary session, that the Syrian Arab Republic continues to breathe through the rubble. The destruction of infrastructure, economic decline, the displacement of millions of persons and difficulties in reconstruction continue to affect the population deeply. This is, without doubt, a stabilization phase that remains fragile and highly uncertain and that will need a solid institutional architecture that ensures governability, effective freedoms for the whole population, judicial safeguards and the protection of human rights including, of course, the rights of the children of the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Worker members recognize all of these facts and, drawing on the values of international trade unionism that we represent in this House, will do everything possible to ensure that the Syrian workers find in us the support needed to bring about democratic values, respect for international labour standards and trade union rights and freedoms and, of course, the elimination of child labour, which is the subject of our discussion. We know all this, but it is precisely in this context where the implementation of the Convention takes on the highest priority. The children of the Syrian Arab Republic cannot wait for the perfect conditions to be protected.

In October 2025, I had the opportunity to represent the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) in Damascus, at the first tripartite regional forum organized by the ILO since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. This meeting brought together representatives of Governments, trade unions and employers of the Syrian Arab Republic and several neighbouring countries, together with ILO specialists. Forums for dialogue of this nature are essential for promoting inclusive recovery, strengthening decent work and developing initiatives able to effectively combat child labour.

The urgent need for action is reflected in the Committee of Experts’ observations. The forced or compulsory recruitment of children aged under 18 for use in armed conflict constitutes one of the worst forms of child labour set out in the Convention.

We note the information provided by the Government according to which the forced recruitment of minors has ceased and service in the armed forces is reserved exclusively for persons aged over 18. This is a positive sign, but this progress must be confirmed through sustainable, verifiable and documented results.

We also note with interest the legislative progress reported by the Government, including the Child Rights Law No. 21 of 2021 and criminal provisions that expressly prohibit the recruitment and use of minors in armed conflict. We also welcome the creation of institutional mechanisms intended to document crimes against children and refer cases to the competent authorities.

Nevertheless, the existence of regulations and institutions, although vital, is insufficient alone. The effective application of the Convention requires specific investigations, judicial proceedings and sanctions that combat impunity. The Committee of Experts continues to express profound concern at the persistent recruitment and use of children in the Syrian conflict.

Although the most recent figures demonstrate a decrease in comparison with the previous year, the number of serious violations against minors remains unacceptably high. Even when certain incidents are not directly attributable to the state authorities, the Government remains obliged to adopt all possible measures to prevent these practices, ensure the demobilization of the minors involved and prevent new cases of recruitment. We therefore encourage the Government to continue to make progress and to provide detailed information on the investigations, proceedings, sentences and sanctions imposed in practice.

We are also concerned at the situation of children deprived of liberty owing to their suspected association with armed groups, as well as the situation of the thousands of minors who remain in camps such as Al-Hol and Roj. These children must principally be considered victims and beneficiaries of special protection. The state response should focus on their best interest, affording them psychosocial support, education, family reunification where possible and effective reintegration programmes

Another particularly concerning issue is child trafficking. The information available continues to indicate the existence of sexual and labour exploitation of minors within and outside the country’s borders. The consequences of years of conflict have increased the vulnerability of many minors, facilitating abuse and exploitation. In this context, we take note of the reactivation of the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Persons and the adoption of a national action plan intended to strengthen prevention, victim protection and the prosecution of perpetrators. These are positive measures that must be translated into concrete and sustainable results. The effectiveness of these initiatives must be measured by the real capacity to identify victims, protect them adequately and sanction those who benefit from their exploitation.

Education constitutes another key element in the application of the Convention. Access to free, quality basic education is one of the most effective tools for preventing child labour and offering development opportunities to minors. Article 7 of the Convention therefore takes on particular importance in the Syrian context. We recognize the measures communicated by the Government – many of them developed with international support – intended to facilitate children’s return to school, renovate education centres and broaden learning opportunities. We also welcome the initiatives aimed at preventing school dropouts and the legal reforms that may help keep children in the education system.

However, the reality continues to be extremely concerning. Numerous schools have suffered damage or have ceased to function as a consequence of the conflict. In many areas, particularly those most affected by violence or precarious economic conditions, thousands of children continue to lack regular access to a safe and continuous education. This situation increases the risk of child labour, exploitation and recruitment.

Moreover, the Convention demands the adoption of effective measures to remove children from the worst forms of child labour, ensure their rehabilitation and promote their social integration. This obligation is particularly relevant for minors affected by armed conflict and other serious exploitation.

We note the programmes announced by the Government in the area of psychosocial support, training, community awareness-raising and the strengthening of child protection mechanisms. We also take positive note of the effort made to identify children in situations of extreme vulnerability and refer them to protection services and reintegration programmes. What will ultimately determine compliance with the Convention, however, will be the specific results obtained on the ground. It is therefore vital to have accurate information on the number of children benefiting from these programmes, the quality of the assistance received and the real impact of the measures adopted.

In conclusion, the Worker members encourage the Government to continue strengthening its cooperation with the ILO and to translate the commitments that it has assumed into tangible and lasting progress. This involves preventing and eradicating all forms of the recruitment and use of minors in armed conflict, effectively combating child trafficking, ensuring effective investigations and sanctions, broadening access to free basic education and strengthening victim rehabilitation and reintegration mechanisms. Only through concrete, sustained action will it be possible to make progress towards eliminating the worst forms of child labour and guaranteeing the children of the Syrian Arab Republic a safe, dignified future free from exploitation.

Employer members – This case relates to the application, in law and in practice, of the Convention in the Syrian Arab Republic. This universally ratified Convention reminds us of something that the Employer members have pointed out repeatedly in this Committee: ratification does not imply or ensure automatic implementation.

Indeed, according to recent global estimates, millions of children remain trapped in child labour, and humanitarian crises and armed conflicts threaten to reverse years of progress in the elimination of child labour.

This session of the Committee is taking place just a few months after the unanimous adoption of the Marrakesh Global Framework for Action against Child Labour at the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, a declaration that calls for a transition from fragmented approaches to transformative, integrated action and highlights the decisive contribution of the social partners in preventing and eliminating child labour. The Employer members are committed to ensuring that the commitments assumed in Marrakesh are translated into concrete action.

This is the first time that the Committee has examined the case of the Syrian Arab Republic under this Convention since it ratified it in 2003, and it is important to highlight that the Committee of Experts issued consecutive observations between 2020 and 2025 indicating serious breaches in compliance.

We thank the Government for the additional information, which describes a fundamental transformation since the start of 2025. Without prejudice to the information brought before the Committee, the Committee of Experts’ comments illustrate a situation where not only risk factors, but also practices constituting serious breaches of compliance with the Convention prevail. I am going to set out our position around the four critical pillars identified by the Committee of Experts.

Firstly, with regard to the forced recruitment of children for their use in armed conflict, we note that the Government has strengthened its legal framework. The Child Rights Law No. 21 of 2021 explicitly prohibits such recruitment, which is criminalized under the Penal Code with sentences of up to 20 years’ imprisonment. However, the gap between law and practice is alarming: according to the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s 2025 report on Children in Armed conflict, more than 1,300 serious violations against children were documented in 2024, with the recruitment and use of 527 children by various parties to the conflict verified. It is extremely concerning to the Employer members that, according to that report, at the end of 2024 approximately 1,000 children were in detention for alleged association with armed groups. Moreover, around 25,500 children with suspected family ties to armed groups continue to be detained in other camps.

The Employer members strongly deplore the use of children in armed conflict. This practice is not only one of the worst forms of child labour, but also leads to other terrible violations such as kidnappings, murders and sexual violence. We urge the Government to ensure the immediate demobilization of all children and to guarantee that those persons responsible for their recruitment, without exception, are subject to in-depth investigations and punished with sufficiently dissuasive sanctions.

Secondly, regarding the alleged sale and trafficking of children, which are prohibited under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the Committee of Experts has expressed its deep concern at the prevalence of child trafficking in the Syrian Arab Republic. The 2024 UN joint report identifies patterns of internal and cross-border trafficking, including the kidnapping and transporting of girls for purposes of sexual exploitation. These acts have been observed both in conflict areas and in the camps in the northeast of the country. We note the reactivation of the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Persons and the new National Action Plan 2024–26. However, the gravity of the documented facts requires a robust judicial response. It is imperative that the Government intensifies its measures to prevent the trade in persons and ensure that child victims are treated as such and receive protection and specialized rehabilitation.

Thirdly, we must analyse the allegations regarding the social integration of child victims and access to free basic education. The Employer members underline that education is the most effective preventive tool against child labour. The Committee of Experts has noted with concern that the hostilities have devastated the education system: in the northeast of the Syrian Arab Republic alone it is estimated that more than 1,000 schools have been damaged or put out of operation. While we note with interest and optimism the information from the Government on the reopening of 2,236 schools and the return of 500,000 children to classrooms through the “All for Education” campaign in 2025, we emphasize that the challenge continues to be immense. The climate of insecurity and the destruction of infrastructure continue to deprive thousands of children of their fundamental right to education. We encourage the Government to redouble its efforts to increase enrolment and reduce dropout rates, particularly among girls, whose education is key to preventing child marriage and labour exploitation.

Lastly, with regard to the obligation to provide direct assistance for the rehabilitation and social integration of children, the Employer members wish to recall that the effective elimination of the worst forms of child labour requires time-bound measures for the rehabilitation of victims. We note with interest the development of the 2022 National Action Plan to address the situation of child victims of military recruitment and the recent creation of a National Investigative Commission to address crimes against children. We call attention, however, to the lack of detailed information on the implementation of the National Action Plan, particularly on the results of this initiative and the number of children who have been effectively reintegrated.

The Employer members lend our voices to the UN’s call for the authorities to facilitate the implementation of reintegration programmes in coordination with the international community. It is vital that former child combatants and victims of trafficking receive comprehensive psychosocial support and vocational training that allows them to transition effectively to a productive civilian life.

To conclude, we wish to recall that while the prosecution of perpetrators and the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour are urgent and essential measures, they do not constitute solutions on their own. In order for them to have a lasting effect, they must be accompanied by broader strategies aimed at addressing the root causes and risk factors that give rise to child labour. This means investing in free, quality education; creating an enabling environment for sustainable enterprises that create decent work for adults and reducing the socio-economic vulnerability of families in the country. The elimination of child labour and the conditions for sustainable economic development are mutually reinforcing: one cannot be achieved without the other.

The Employer members fully recognize the exceptional gravity of the context of the socio-productive framework in the Syrian Arab Republic, while the protracted armed conflict, the humanitarian crisis, mass population displacement and the weakness of institutions have come together to create conditions that profoundly and systematically affect children’s rights.

We therefore hope that the Government’s commitment is up to the task, and we encourage it to continue to make progress and to accept technical assistance from the ILO to address these challenges and continue to report on the case, as well as to involve the social partners in the design and implementation of comprehensive strategies, with the aim of ensuring that the next report to the Committee of Experts reflects specific, verifiable and meaningful progress in the protection of children in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Interpretation from Arabic: Worker member, Syrian Arab Republic – As regards the Convention, we reaffirm our commitment to its objectives, and we believe that the observations from the report of the Committee of Experts which included the Syrian Arab Republic on the list of individual cases are, in fact, observations based on data and facts that go back to the period before 2024. That period is a very dark episode in our history during which institutions did not carry out their responsibilities and corruption and destruction reigned. Today we are very much aware that child labour is not just a violation of their rights, but it is a crime against future generations of children. For this reason, our Federation, together with its partners, considers the elimination of child labour to be a priority. We have a different institutional approach now founded on the rule of law, respect for human rights and the strengthening of justice.

For this reason, and in accordance with the principles of international cooperation and our obligations under international labour standards, we do not seek to justify the practices of the past. We are rather looking at how to strengthen compliance with international standards. To this end, a number of measures have been taken. Workers’ organizations have strengthened their oversight role. For example, our trade unions are looking into the issue of child labour and child exploitation by carrying out inspections of workplaces. Trade unions have also participated in reactivating the National Committee for Combating Trafficking in Persons. We have participated in the development of economic support programmes.

Such programmes aim to extend social security and improve salaries and draft assistance programmes for vulnerable families. On the question related to education and vocational training and social integration, the Federation of Trade Unions is working on a certain number of measures. Firstly, supporting initiatives aiming at returning children to school and promoting their continued education. We also contribute to the development of vocational training programmes and support the implementation of a national case management system to address situations of child labour. We are also participating in a national campaign “All for Education” which has facilitated the return of children to school and supported the re-education of a number of children and the reopening of schools.

Combating the worst forms of child labour in a country such as the Syrian Arab Republic, which is undergoing a period of recovery, requires support and cooperation from all parties. For this reason, the trade union movement is working hand in hand with all partners and is trying to strengthen social dialogue and cooperation in the concrete application of the Convention in order to build a future that is founded on decent work and social justice. We believe that including the Syrian Arab Republic on the list of individual cases of the Committee does not reflect the considerable progress that has been made and does not take into account the measures that have been recently applied.

At the same time, we reaffirm our continued cooperation with our national social partners with a view to continuing the process we have begun, and we also reaffirm that we are open to all forms of positive and constructive cooperation with the ILO and its different mechanisms.

On behalf of the millions of Syrian workers and on behalf of every child who was deprived of his or her childhood in the past, we hope that the clarification that we have just provided during the session will be taken into consideration and we hope that you will support us in rebuilding a new Syrian Arab Republic that is founded on respecting human rights and strengthening the rule of law.

Interpretation from Arabic: Government member, Libya – We welcome the report of the Committee of Experts, and we take due note of the comments made by the Government which reflects its commitment to fulfil its obligations under the provisions of the Convention.

We have taken due note of the evolving situation, which shows that there is a clear political will in the country to pursue an institutional path grounded in respect for its own sovereignty and the rule of law and the strengthening of human rights. These developments demonstrate to what degree the measures adopted are to be encouraged. Particular attention should be given to some examples. Care centres have received children, with these official centres providing a number of vital services such as rehabilitation, social support, education and healthcare for children. The involvement of children in armed groups is a phenomenon against which the authorities are working using a robust legal framework.

Other examples include the number of schools that have reopened their doors to pupils. The Government is redoubling its efforts in the area of labour inspection in a number of sectors, and at the national level we are seeing campaigns against begging and the exploitation of children related to it. National mechanisms have been established to combat trafficking, particularly of children.

So, these are measures that should all be born in mind as they illustrate that the Government is working towards a package of institutional reform which will certainly enable the country to better overcome its challenges. So, the Government needs support for institutional stability and national reform to be carried out. These are steps that we are seeing can lead the reform for social justice and respect for children’s rights. Encouraging this path is the best way of ensuring sustainable respect for international labour standards.

Government Member, Cyprus – I speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States. The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, the Republic of Moldova, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) country Norway, member of the European Economic Area, as well as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, align themselves with this statement.

The European Union and its Member States are committed to the promotion, protection, respect and fulfilment of human rights, including labour rights and the fight against child labour in its worst forms, as enshrined in the Convention.

We promote the universal ratification and effective implementation of fundamental ILO Conventions and support the ILO in developing and promoting international labour standards and supervising their application.

The European Union and its Member States take note of the profound political change in the Syrian Arab Republic marked by the end of the Assad regime and the establishment of a transitional Government and new governmental institutions in the Syrian Arab Republic.

We recognize the efforts taken by the transitional Government to regain full control of its territory and at the same time assume serious international responsibilities and obligations despite an ongoing complex political, social and economic situation and the still-present legacy of decades of war and dictatorship.

Against this background, we welcome the Government’s information on the measures taken aimed at preventing and criminalizing the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. We also note the 2025 annual report of the UN Secretary-General on Children in Armed Conflict reporting an 18 per cent decrease in children used in armed conflict from 2023 to 2024.

We strongly urge the transitional Government to ensure that the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces does not occur. We call on the Government to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict are carried out and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice.

In line with the Committee of Experts’ requests, we call on the Government to ensure that the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual and labour exploitation does not occur and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. We call on the transitional Government to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions are carried out for persons who engage in the trafficking of children and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive sanctions are imposed.

We express deep concern at the large number of children who are still deprived of access to education for reasons of insecurity prevailing in the country, and we encourage the transitional Government to ensure that all necessary measures to improve access to free basic education for all children – and in particular for girls, children in rural areas and areas affected by the conflict – are taken, by increasing the school enrolment and attendance rates at the primary and lower-secondary levels and by decreasing the dropout rates.

We recommend the transitional Government to take effective and time-bound measures to prevent the engagement of children in armed conflict and to rehabilitate and integrate former child combatants.

We acknowledge the additional information submitted by the transitional Government, and we strongly encourage it to follow up on the measures laid out to fully implement the Convention in law and in practice. We encourage further exchanges between the transitional Government and the ILO with a view to implementing the recommendations of the Committee of Experts and making use of technical assistance. The European Union and its Member States will continue to follow the situation closely and remain committed to supporting the effective application of fundamental labour standards.

Government member, Canada – I have the honour of speaking on behalf of Japan, Switzerland and my own country, Canada. We thank the Committee of Experts for its detailed observations and welcome the transitional Government’s efforts to submit its report in 2025, noting that its previous report was issued in 2017.

We also thank the transitional Government and take note of the additional information provided in advance of the work of this Committee. We welcome all measures established to combat child labour, including the legislative and institutional reforms to guarantee children’s rights and the establishment of the National Investigative Commission tasked with addressing crimes committed against children by the Assad regime.

At the same time, we remain concerned by the Committee of Experts’ report, which notes the ongoing recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, the deprivation of liberty of children associated with these groups, as well as the trafficking of children, including for purposes of sexual exploitation.

Achieving a reduction in human trafficking requires a sustained effort, and we strongly encourage the transitional Government to strengthen its national and institutional frameworks to ensure that any perpetrator who has committed crimes against children is brought to justice.

We therefore call on the transitional Government to accelerate the implementation of all measures to:

• ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children from armed groups and prevent any further recruitment;
• carry out thorough investigations and prosecution of those responsible for recruiting or exploiting children and ensure the use of effective and dissuasive penalties;
• intensify efforts to prevent and eliminate the trafficking of children, including by strengthening victim identification, protections and rehabilitation measures;
• continue to provide concrete and updated information to the ILO on investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties imposed.

We note the measures taken to improve access to education, including with the support of international partners, and we welcome the latest results achieved by the “All for Education” campaign. However, we remain deeply concerned by the impact of conflict on educational infrastructures and access to education as we see continued attacks on schools and high numbers of out-of-school children.

We therefore urge the transitional Government to continue to take time-bound measures to ensure access to free, safe and quality education for all children as a key step to prevent the worst forms of child labour. We stress the importance of rehabilitation and social integration of children affected by armed conflict, including former child soldiers, and encourage continued cooperation with the UN in this regard.

We welcome the transitional Government’s continued engagement with the ILO and the broader UN system in support of stabilization and peace. We highlight the recent visit of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict to Syria in February 2026. We strongly encourage the transitional Government to make full use of ILO technical assistance to ensure the effective protection and respect of children’s rights and, in this respect, we welcome the transitional Government’s request in its official submission for support for training of trainers and the provision of technical, logistical and advisory support.

Interpretation from Arabic: Worker member, Bahrain – Child labour is a societal issue which requires national and international efforts. We should recognize that child labour is not a new phenomenon in the Syrian Arab Republic. The situation has deteriorated clearly as a result of the economic and social situation.

In the aftermath of the fall of the previous regime, the country has faced considerable challenges, including unemployment, poverty, damaged infrastructure and limited access to basic services. This means that many families have been compelled to rely on the income generated by their children in order to survive. This reality has been documented in numerous reports over recent years. Years of conflict have led to widespread displacement, the destruction of livelihoods and severe economic hardship as reflected by many reports in previous years.

With the changes that have been documented and the efforts made at the national level to rebuild institutions and the rule of law, we note positive progress and a reduction in child labour over previous years. There are still challenges, but progress on the ground should be encouraged by us and supported as we see efforts to continue to combat child labour.

Our firm belief is that this is not a matter that should just be limited to comments or criticisms. It has to be turned into genuine support for the Syrian Arab Republic to allow it to continue with its efforts and ensure that there is schooling, social services and a decent life for its children. We call on the International Labour Organization and all partner organizations to continue supporting the Syrian Arab Republic so that it, in turn, can continue with its national efforts, strengthening the programmes covering children and the most vulnerable groups, and further build educational institutions to effectively fight child labour and help future generations look to a better future

Interpretation from Arabic: Employer member, Saudi Arabia – We must be realistic and transparent on the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic today. As a result of what happened with the previous Government, the situation is very serious, and Syrian society has suffered from many violations, not just particularly children. We have a new Government starting from 2025 who have demonstrated that they are working hard to rise to the challenge. They submitted additional information in May 2026 which demonstrates that they really are taking action with regard to international labour standards.

Now, with regard to Articles 3 and 7(a), recruitment of children by armed groups, the report notes that there are violations. These violations took place during the rule of the previous Government, and the new Government has indicated that since 2025, they have been working hard on this. Therefore, it is not fair to penalize the new Government for acts they are not responsible for, because the new Government is quite simply not responsible for these acts and they have demonstrated that they can apply the standards and legislation in an effective manner. Secondly, with regard to human trafficking, the new Government has stated that they have a new national action plan to combat human trafficking.

Regarding Article 7(c) on access to basic education, we agree that access to education is a fundamental right in the country. In the Syrian Arab Republic, we have got many poets and other well-known literary figures who have left a legacy for the world. Therefore, we all know that education is very important. The Government has also made it clear that it is taking measures to strengthen its educational system and ensure that it really is a right enjoyed by all. The Government has also said that approximately 500,000 children have returned to school and over 2,236 new schools have been opened and 38,000 teachers have been recruited with the new Government.

Next, we are talking about social reinsertion. Here, we would like to say that the Syrian people suffered considerably. There was mass destruction and many injured, and today the Syrian people require social reinsertion measures, and the report makes it very clear that the new Syrian Government has made it a priority with their 2025 National Action Plan.

We believe we should allow the new Government to continue to act in accordance with international labour standards. I am fully confident that the Government will continue to work in accordance with the principles of transparency, and we all have the right to a second chance. Therefore, we think that the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic should be given the chance to bring peace and prosperity for their people. Therefore, bearing in mind all of the positive developments we have mentioned, we would like to ask the Committee to give the new Syrian Government a chance to prove themselves, and we call on the Organization also to provide technical assistance.

Interpretation from Arabic: Worker member, Sudan – The delegation of Sudanese workers is looking closely at the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic relating to the application of the Convention. We support the efforts of the Government in cooperation with the social partners, and particularly the General Federation of Workers in the Syrian Arab Republic, to combat this scourge. We have looked closely at the trade union reports that reflect a willingness to respect the need for further work with the supervisory mechanisms in order to reintegrate affected children into education, training and work. We welcome the ongoing efforts in the national committee to review policy in this area and their contributions to promote decent work and social protection. We also welcome its effort to examine the social and economic factors that push children into work.

Addressing the worst forms of child labour requires the consideration of the exceptional circumstances and the social and economic challenges that the Syrian Arab Republic has experienced in recent years which engender an impact on families and on the labour market. The most effective approach is supporting national efforts, promoting technical cooperation and capacity-building rather than just providing observations, and that is why we welcome cooperation between the Government and the ILO and the social partners.

We would like to see technical assistance, including initiatives aimed at strengthening labour inspection services and building the capacity of labour inspectors. At the same time, efforts should continue to expand social protection, improve access to education and vocational training and enhance the capacity and autonomy of trade unions so that they can play an active role in identifying and reporting violations. The General Confederation of Trade Unions in Sudan would like to express its solidarity with the workers and trade unions in the Syrian Arab Republic and supports all efforts to protect children from exploitation to ensure that they can enjoy their fundamental rights to education, development and a decent life.

Interpretation from Arabic: Government member, Saudi Arabia – We would like to state that there is a need to put this case in the national context. We need to see that there are public institutions that are currently being rebuilt after years of conflict, and the consequences of the conflict are still visible. The Syrian Arab Republic is going to need time and support in order to build its institutions. The country would benefit from continued technical assistance to strengthen and complement its national capacities. We are grateful for all of the efforts undertaken by the Government to build their institutions and to improve the situation of children and provide the basic services that they need. These efforts are particularly important in addressing the consequences of years of conflict and instability. We welcome the fact that the Government is open to technical assistance from the ILO, because dialogue and assistance are the way to get sustainable progress. The current challenges facing the Government at the moment require ongoing efforts to ensure social protection in order to combat the worst forms of child labour and to restore national institutions. We underscore the importance of the comments from the Committee, yet at the same time we think it is very important not to lose sight of the current situation in the Syrian Arab Republic and recognize that they need technical assistance in order to achieve stability and bring about reforms.

We support any solution that will bring stability and prosperity to our brother country of the Syrian Arab Republic.

Worker member, France – We would like to raise an issue that is both documented and urgent: in the Syrian Arab Republic, child labour in the construction and reconstruction sector constitutes a risk that increases as international investment accelerates.

The Syrian Arab Republic is facing infrastructure damage estimated at 10 times its gross domestic product. As reconstruction gains momentum – with the re-establishment of World Bank funding after the settlement of the country’s arrears in May 2025 and the European Union’s contribution of €620 million for 2026–27 – construction has become one of the main sectors attracting child workers. Witnesses on the ground in January 2025 reported children working on bombsites, extracting iron from destroyed buildings, carrying heavy loads and manoeuvring machines without any protective equipment. One witness described a boy of seventeen years killed when a building collapsed on top of him. This boy had left school after losing his whole family in the conflict. This is the human face of the unimaginable situation that occurs when labour inspection is absent and when child protection does not reach building sites.

At the global level, 13 per cent of child workers work in industry, including construction. In the Syrian Arab Republic, widespread poverty, destroyed schools and a reconstruction sector in rapid expansion create conditions that enable the exploitation of children on building sites. We wish to highlight that the ILO’s April 2026 programme on decent work for peace integrates child labour prevention and occupational safety and health training for entrepreneurs in the reconstruction sector. That Initiative is a positive model that should be extended.

We urge the Government to deploy its labour inspection system on building sites, particularly those financed by public funding. We also call on it to ensure that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour draws up specific protocols to identify and protect children in the reconstruction sector. Lastly, we call on the Government to report to the Committee of Experts on the inspections carried out, violations identified and sanctions imposed.

Government member, Pakistan – Pakistan acknowledges the ongoing efforts of the Government to strengthen child protection and advance reforms in line with its obligations under the Convention. We recognize the significant measures undertaken by the current authorities as well as the Government’s constructive engagement and cooperation with the ILO. The Government of Pakistan supports a constructive, balanced and objective consideration of this individual case, taking into account the ongoing reforms and evolving circumstances in the Syrian Arab Republic. We emphasize the importance of dialogue, technical cooperation and respect for national circumstances in promoting international labour standards.

Worker member, Senegal – We would like to address the matter of sexual violence against children in the Syrian Arab Republic, a serious violation that intersects directly with the worst forms of child labour under Article 3(a) and (b) of the Convention and that the Committee of Experts has highlighted with the greatest concern.

Sexual violence against children is a persistent characteristic of the conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic and is perpetrated by several parties. The 2026 Report of the UN Secretary-General on conflict-related sexual violence documented that in 2025 survivors continued to face serious structural obstacles in access to justice: fears for their safety, social stigmatization and an almost total collapse of medical and psychological services in the affected areas. Factions operating under the Syrian National Army have been involved in cases described as serious violations.

An information note issued by the British Government in March 2026 confirms that, as recently as August 2025, the UN Security Council noted that no effective or sustained measures had been taken to prevent sexual violence against children or ensure accountability for perpetrators.

We recognize that significant progress has been made by the new authorities. Following the creation of a national transitional justice committee, the Syrian authorities participated in workshops in Damascus in 2025 specifically addressing guarantees of transitional justice measures for conflict-related sexual violence, including criminal responsibility. The authorities later requested additional support from the UN in 2026. We welcome this engagement as a concrete sign of commitment.

The structural gaps remain serious, however. Medical and psychological services for survivors are notoriously lacking. Crimes are under-reported owing to stigmatization and fear. Accountability mechanisms are in their infancy.

We urge the Government to ensure that transitional justice mechanisms fully cover crimes of sexual violence committed against children. We urge the Government to ensure that the perpetrators are prosecuted and subject to effective and dissuasive sanctions. And we urge the Government to ensure that child victims have access to medical, psychological and legal services in all affected areas and to report to the Committee of Experts on the measures adopted and the results obtained.

Interpretation from Arabic: Government member, Morocco – Allow me first to express my gratitude to the Syrian Government for the detailed and useful information provided. This information reflects a clear willingness to work with the ILO mechanisms and to launch a reform process aiming to strengthen child protection and to ensure respect for the relevant international standards.

We welcome the vital role played by the Committee of Experts and the Committee on the Application of Standards as two essential mechanisms for supporting Member States in strengthening respect for international standards and embedding the principles of decent work and social justice.

Morocco’s statement takes into consideration the specific nature of the Syrian case and the situation that the country is going through: profound political and institutional changes and transformations. This poses serious humanitarian and social challenges. We therefore believe that this case should be examined with objectivity and balance, while taking into account the Committee of Experts’ observations on one hand, and the efforts made on the ground on the other.

In this context, we welcome the firm willingness expressed by the Syrian Government to erase the traces of the past, particularly by strengthening the rule of law and human rights protection, rebuilding State institutions and strengthening cooperation with the ILO. We also welcome the specific measures adopted in child protection, ensuring their social integration and bringing an end to the worst forms of their exploitation.

The Kingdom of Morocco expresses its profound commitment to protecting children from the worst forms of labour. We therefore believe that support for institutional stability and national reform in the Syrian Arab Republic will contribute directly to child protection, the consolidation of social justice and respect for fundamental labour rights.

In conclusion, the Kingdom of Morocco reiterates its full support for the reform process pursued by the Syrian Arab Republic. We call on the ILO to continue to provide technical support and support in strengthening national capacities and for the promising efforts made. This assistance will afford the Syrian people, particularly its children, a seamless transition to a more equitable future that guarantees human dignity

Interpretation from Chinese: Government member, China – China thanks the Syrian representative for the information shared. The Middle East is currently facing sustained tensions with negative impacts spreading and seriously undermining regional peace and stability. As an important country in the region, the Syrian Arab Republic faces the daunting task of post-conflict reconstruction. The Syrian people have endured prolonged war and suffering. They urgently desire peace and development.

We note that the Government is committed to constructive cooperation with the ILO and its supervisory mechanisms and has made active efforts in child protection, the elimination of child labour and other areas. China believes that the Syrian Arab Republic’s transition process should be Syrian-led and its future can only be decided by the Syrian people. The Syrian Arab Republic has a weak economic foundation, and restoring state order, particularly improving child protection systems and mechanisms, will take some time. Therefore, we call on the Governing Body to strengthen engagement with the Government and provide technical assistance based on the country’s actual needs, helping it to further align its national legislation and practice with its obligations towards the ILO and steadily enhance its compliance capacity.

Interpretation from Arabic: Government member, Jordan – Today we address a category of children that is being looked at under Convention No. 182, and these children are considered at specific risk. We are talking about internally displaced children after more than 14 years of conflict. Displacement is not an emergency in the Syrian Arab Republic. It is a structural reality, and it is one that places millions of children in conditions of acute vulnerability to the worst forms of child labour. The scale is staggering.

Millions of children have experienced violence firsthand, witnessed the killing of family members or been separated from their parents. Displacement furthermore drives families into poverty, destroys access to education and dismantles the social protection networks that ordinarily shield children from exploitation. When a family loses its livelihood, children become earners. When schools are destroyed or inaccessible, children fill their hours with work, and when communities are fragmented, traffickers recruit and those who profit from child labour move in. The Committee of Experts has specifically flagged that internally displaced children face heightened risks of child labour resulting from loss of parental livelihood, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence and early and forced marriage.

These are not isolated risks, either. They are interconnected, mutually reinforcing and overwhelmingly concentrated among the most vulnerable children in the Syrian Arab Republic today. We note that the Government has taken steps to reach displaced children through education campaigns and case-management mechanisms, and we encourage these efforts to continue and expand the operationalization of protection structures that orient vulnerable children towards support rather than punitive responses; this is precisely the right approach and should be applied systematically across all displacement settings.

We urge the Government to ensure that child protection services actively reach internally displaced children in all areas, including informal settlements and hard-to-access zones. We urge the Government to ensure that displaced children are prioritized in education, psychosocial support and reintegration programmes, and we urge the Government to report to the Committee of Experts with data on these children.

Interpretation from Arabic: Government member, Algeria – Algeria highlights the importance of respecting the provisions of ratified Conventions. We also believe that constructive dialogue and cooperation between Member States and ILO bodies constitute the best means of addressing the challenges under examination. In that regard, Algeria encourages the Office to continue to provide support and technical assistance to the Syrian Arab Republic to help strengthen its national capacities and support its efforts to apply the provisions of the Convention and address the current challenges.

Worker member, Norway – I speak on behalf of the Nordic trade unions. We would like to address the forced recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, one of the most severe forms of child labour under Article 3 of the Convention. We took careful note of the information provided by the Government in its written observations: forced recruitment of children has ceased, and military and security service is now strictly voluntary and exclusively for persons of 18 years and above. Furthermore, a National Investigative Commission has been established to document crimes committed against children and transmit cases to the competent judicial authorities. We acknowledge these as significant commitments that go in the right direction.

The legislative framework supports these commitments: the Child Rights Law No. 21 of 2021 expressly prohibits child recruitment in combat; and section 488 of the Penal Code provides for 10 to 20 years’ imprisonment for child recruitment. The 2022 National Action Plan, signed between the Syrian National Army and the UN to end and prevent child recruitment, is a further concrete step. The new authorities have also agreed with the UN to develop their own governmental action plan on grave violations against children. Notwithstanding these positive developments, 527 children were still verified as recruited and used by various armed factions in 2024. The Committee of Experts has not received information of any investigation, prosecution or conviction under section 488 of the Penal Code. The full demobilization of all children from all armed forces and groups has not yet been confirmed.

We urge the Government to ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children still associated with any armed force or group. We urge the Government to ensure that the National Investigative Commission effectively transmits cases to the judicial authorities and that proceedings are initiated. And we urge the Government to report to the Committee of Experts on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought, convictions handed down and penalties imposed in practice.

Interpretation from Arabic: Government member, Jordan – The ILO takes an interest in dialogue and cooperation among the tripartite constituents, and it assists Member States in honouring their commitments using a practical, constructive approach that considers the situation on the ground and supports reform processes. Jordan therefore believes that the Committee should take into consideration the recent transformation seen in the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as the Government’s efforts to address the legacy of the past and guarantee child protection.

Jordan takes note of the Government’s report of the measures adopted to re-enrol children in school, strengthen inspection mechanisms, combat begging and exploitation and create social protection centres for at-risk children. We believe that it is necessary to ensure technical cooperation with the ILO, which would allow Syrian national capacities to be strengthened and conformity with Convention No. 182 to be ensured. In conclusion, we reaffirm our support for the dialogue and cooperation process, and we invite the Committee to adopt a balanced approach that supports the reforms and capacity-building, as well as national efforts as per the reports submitted by the Syrian Arab Republic.

Worker member, South Africa – The UN Secretary-General’s 2025 report on Children in Armed Conflict verified 3,343 grave violations against 3,209 children in the Syrian Arab Republic in just over two years. Thousands of children affected by conflict, trafficking, sexual violence and exploitation are still waiting for comprehensive rehabilitation. Many are waiting in camps. Many are waiting in silence.

We acknowledge that the current authorities inherited a devastated country and a broken child protection system. The 2022 National Action Plan for child victims of military recruitment, the training of officials, the establishment of transitional justice and missing persons bodies and the orientation of vulnerable children towards protection rather than punitive responses – these reflect a direction of travel that we do not dismiss. Direction, however, is not yet destination.

The central challenge is the gap between frameworks and outcomes. The Syrian Arab Republic has policies. What is not yet visible is evidence that they are working at scale. We are not aware of comprehensive, verified data on how many children have actually been rehabilitated, how many reintegrated into their communities, how many are receiving sustained social support and which regions services reach – and where they do not. That absence of data makes accountability impossible.

We urge the Government to implement the 2022 National Action Plan with urgency and to report to the Committee of Experts with concrete results: numbers, regions, services delivered. The report of the Committee of Experts urges the Government to ensure that the transitional justice mechanism explicitly covers crimes committed against children and that perpetrators face effective and dissuasive sanctions. It also urges the Government to ensure that no child who has survived conflict, trafficking and exploitation is met with a punitive response where a protective one is required. The new Government authorities have shown willingness. What the Syrian Arab Republic’s children now need is capacity turned into delivery and commitment turned into outcomes.

Worker member, Pakistan – We will address child trafficking in the Syrian Arab Republic – a worst form of child labour under Article 3(a) and (b) of the Convention, and one that has reached catastrophic proportions after 14 years of conflict. We took note of the Government’s written observations. The national anti-trafficking committee has been reactivated. A new National Action Plan for 2024–26 has been adopted with a specific focus on child victims of sexual exploitation. Arrests have been made and proceedings initiated. These are steps in the right direction. But steps are not enough when the scale of the crisis demands urgent and sustained actions.

The numbers tell a devastating story. As of January 2025, approximately 25,000 children remained in the Al-Hol and Roj camps in northeastern Syrian Arab Republic, some of them unidentified trafficking victims. More than a decade after the ISIS attack on the Yazidi community, between 2,800 and 3,000 Yazidis remain missing – 1,300 of them children. An estimated 6,000 women and children, mainly Yazidis, have been sold into sex trafficking. These are not historical footnotes. They are open wounds. The forms of trafficking are multiple and overlapping: sexual exploitation in exchange for food or money; forced early marriage to armed group members leading to sexual slavery; forced labour in begging rings; and an alarming new form – children in displacement camps forced to perform for hours on digital platforms, their earnings seized by operators. Child trafficking in the Syrian Arab Republic has entered the digital age.

The legal framework exists. The Prevention of Human Trafficking Act of 2010, the Child Rights Law No. 21 of 2021, and the four-pillar National Plan to Combat Trafficking provide a foundation. But a foundation is only as strong as what it is built upon. We urge the Government to report to the Committee of Experts with concrete data on the 2024–26 Plan: investigations, prosecutions, convictions and children referred to protection services. We urge the Government to ensure rehabilitation centres are operational across all affected governorates. And we urge the Government to address the structural drivers – displacement, poverty, camp conditions – that leave Syrian children acutely exposed: 25,000 children in camps cannot wait.

Interpretation from Arabic: Observer, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) – A country emerging from over a decade of conflict with shattered institutions and an immense humanitarian legacy. The return to dialogue with the ILO supervisory bodies after years of absence is itself a meaningful step. And we do not underestimate it. The legislative foundations are real. The Child Rights Law No. 21 of 2021, the Penal Code provisions imposing 10 to 20 years’ imprisonment for child recruitment, the 2022 National Action Plan and the national back-to-learning campaign which all reflect a genuine orientation towards protection.

There are still many challenges. And these must now be followed by implementation. The scale of what remains is immense. In 2024 alone, 1,301 grave violations against 1,205 children were verified in the Syrian Arab Republic under the former regime. Many children remain out of school. And all of this requires an immediate and quantifiable answer with specific outcomes.

We know that the Syrian trade unions are working with the new Government to guarantee the protection of children against all forms of exploitation. And we urge the new Government to guarantee the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to end the forced recruitment of children under 18. We call for thorough investigations and prosecutions with effective and dissuasive sanctions. We call for the full implementation of the 2022 National Action Plan with concrete reporting to the Committee of Experts on the children rehabilitated, reintegrated and receiving psychosocial support.

We also call for children in camps and detention to be treated as victims, not criminals. And we call for sustained efforts to restore access to free basic education for all children, particularly girls and those in conflict-affected areas. We encourage the Government to make full use of ILO assistance in pursuing these objectives. The children of the Syrian Arab Republic, as we know, deserve support. We believe that the Government should benefit from support from all relevant international organizations to combat this scourge. The children of the Syrian Arab Republic have waited too long. And now good faith must be measured in results.

Observer, Education International – Education International reiterates that access to quality, free public education is key to preventing the worst forms of child labour, in line with the Convention. We recognize the Government’s efforts: an emergency education plan, stabilization campaigns and the rehabilitation of schools which facilitate the return of students and teachers. We also welcome the unified school calendar and membership of the Global Partnership for Education. The situation remains critical, however: thousands of schools have been damaged or destroyed, millions of children remain outside the school system, and attacks against education are increasing. Access must be inclusive and equitable, including education in mother tongues to prevent exclusion. We urge the Government to accelerate the rehabilitation of schools, ensure educational reintegration – especially for displaced children – enforce the minimum age for marriage of 18 years and provide disaggregated data.

Interpretation from Arabic: Government representative – We believe that we have heard an important interactive dialogue which emphasizes the importance of dialogue and the exchange of expertise in order to ensure the effective application of international labour standards. The delegation of my Government has listened very closely to all of the comments and recommendations made during this sitting. We would reiterate that the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic looks forward to working openly and transparently in the spirit of constructive cooperation based on our commitment to continuing reforms and enhancing respect for relevant international labour standards.

The Syrian delegation has outlined a fundamental reality. The period included in the report of the Committee of Experts belongs to the past. The serious violations which are emphasized there ended at the end of that period. Today, the approach in the Syrian Arab Republic is completely different. The Government is working to implement a national approach to protect the rights of children, safeguard their dignity and promote the rule of law and accountability, supporting reconstruction efforts and recovery.

We also seek to strengthen collective work and social dialogue among the various partners. It is for this reason that the delegation I represent asks that due consideration is given to the national context, as well as the ongoing political and institutional transformation when examining this case. What is happening in the Syrian Arab Republic and what happened in the previous period was a reflection of a genuine determination to apply and consolidate sustainable relations between workers and employers. We are aware that we have challenges. The destruction caused by the former regime is not something that can be repaired overnight. However, what we are seeing today is clear evidence that the current reform process currently underway in the Syrian Arab Republic is a serious undertaking, as demonstrated by the following measures: the implementation of projects in schools and access to free basic education for children, the work on the ground to protect children, the activation of inspection and case management systems to reinforce social protection and the existence of a clear political determination to provide effective reports and effectively counter impunity.

We would like to reaffirm that our cooperation with the ILO will continue. We will certainly benefit from its expertise and technical assistance which will contribute to promoting decent work, respect for international labour standards and the achievement of effective social dialogue in accordance with the commitments of the Government and the requirements of the national authorities. All of the comments and recommendations from this discussion will be taken very seriously by the competent national bodies and be considered in the context of a collective approach with effective social dialogue with representatives of employers and workers. We will benefit from the effect of these recommendations as we seek to promote a mechanism for promoting the implementation of the Convention as a part of our Strategic Plan for 2026–28. We will take home to Damascus a message of support and reassurance to the people and children of the Syrian Arab Republic. We will tell them that the Committee on the Application of Standards is working to ensure that children’s rights are protected. We would like to underline the Syrian Arab Republic’s commitment to cooperating with the ILO, to continuing the development of an administrative legal institutional framework to promote coordination between the various international partners as we continue partnering and cooperating with the representatives of workers and employers in the various stages of application.

To conclude, we very much hope that the Committee will take into account the significant challenges facing the Syrian Arab Republic as well as the reforms that we have managed to put into place in just a short period of time under very complex circumstances. It is our conviction, in the interests of fairness and in the light of the measures that have already been taken during the current period, that this case should not be included in the list of individual cases. Nevertheless, we believe that a dialogue- and cooperation-based approach would be better to address recovery and initiate reforms. We open a new chapter today based on reform, recovery and social protection. Our children remain at the heart of this approach and one of its first priorities.

For us, the ILO is a key partner in these efforts, and we are confident it will continue to support us throughout this period of recovery.

Employer members – The Employer members thank the Government for the information supplied, its firm commitment and its confirmation that its administration has been founded on respect for human rights and the rule of law since early 2025. At the same time, we recognize the complexity of the situation on the ground and the ongoing hostilities in certain parts of the country following the political transition of December 2024.

In this context, given the extreme seriousness and persistence of the violations documented by the ILO supervisory bodies and the UN, we cannot settle for good intentions. There is an urgent need to ensure that the mentioned improvements to gaps in compliance with the Convention are supported by measures that ensure its full respect both in law and in practice.

This case not only raises profound concerns at the violation of the rights of children, but also has a profound impact on the economic and social recovery of the Syrian Arab Republic. The Employer members firmly believe that a healthy labour market and sustainable development cannot be built on the backs of children exploited in war or through trafficking. The Employer members therefore recommend that this Committee’s conclusions include the following points.

With regard to the demobilization of children involved in armed conflicts, we urge the Government to guarantee the immediate release of all children associated with armed forces or groups, as well as those detained for suspected family ties to armed groups, and to ensure that robust judicial investigations that lead to real and dissuasive sentences for recruiters are carried out.

In terms of protection for trafficking victims, we urge the Government to implement, without delay, the National Plan to Combat Trafficking, prioritizing the identification of at-risk children in camps and conflict zones. We request the Government ensure that thorough investigations and robust criminal proceedings are carried out and that all persons responsible are prosecuted and sufficiently effective and dissuasive sanctions imposed. We also encourage the Government to accept technical assistance from the ILO in this matter and continue to provide detailed information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought and sentences handed down.

Regarding the breaches in compliance linked to the social integration of child victims and their access to education, we encourage the Government to make the utmost effort to increase school enrolment and reduce dropout rates, and to gather solid statistical data that allow for disaggregation by gender and region. The Employer members reiterate our position that while the prosecution of perpetrators and the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour are urgent and essential measures, they do not constitute solutions on their own. In order for them to have a lasting effect, they must be accompanied by broader strategies aimed at addressing the root causes and risk factors that give rise to child labour. We encourage the Government to design policies to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in the country to reduce poverty and factors of vulnerability affecting Syrian families.

We welcome the Government’s request for technical assistance and urge the Office to prioritize institutional strengthening, governance training and support for the design of strategies to promote small and medium-sized enterprises and provide vocational training intended to reduce socio-economic vulnerability among families in the country and remove young people from the worst forms of child labour. The Employer members hope that the Government’s commitment is up to the task, and we encourage it to intensify and coordinate efforts in the public sector with the social partners to eradicate this scourge and guarantee protection for children from all forms of child labour.

Worker members – We thank the Government representative for the information that he was able to provide to us during this discussion. We also thank the other speakers for their contributions. As we have heard, despite an extremely difficult context, the Syrian Government has recently resumed more constructive dialogue with the ILO supervisory bodies. This commitment is a positive sign.

It must now be translated into specific verifiable and sustainable measures to ensure the effective application of the Convention. To this end, the Government must adopt all the necessary, immediate and effective measures to ensure the total and immediate demobilization of all children and to bring an end to the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age to armed forces and armed groups. To that end, it might be useful to recall everything that we commemorate on the World Day against Child Labour and refer at this point, as suggested by the Syrian Government, to the Marrakesh Global Framework for Action against Child Labour adopted at the ILO’s 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, held in Morocco in February 2026. The Framework for Action encourages us to prioritize the elimination of child labour, recalling target 8.7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which consists of bringing an end to child labour in all its forms. As the international campaign promoted by the ILO says, let us show a red card to child labour, let us mobilize people around the world to fight child labour and demand specific measures as part of a shared commitment. In this way we must also strengthen the call for effective measures, social protection and quality education in the Syrian Arab Republic.

We take note of the legislative developments that have already occurred, including the Child Rights Law No. 21 of 2021 and article 488 of the Penal Code which prohibit the recruitment and use of minors in armed conflict. Nevertheless, a legal framework, as important as it is, must be applied effectively in practice. The Government must therefore ensure that all persons who recruit or use children aged under 18 years in armed conflict are investigated and prosecuted thoroughly and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive sanctions are imposed in practice.

It is also important to have accurate information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought, convictions handed down and penalties imposed. Mechanisms to identify, protect and refer children affected by conflict, as well as the authorities’ capacity to implement legislation, must therefore be effectively strengthened.

It will also be vital for the Government to provide regular, detailed information on progress so that the commitments that it has expressed may be evaluated according to concrete results. We highlight the existence of the 2022 National Action Plan to address the situation of child victims of military recruitment. The Plan must be implemented fully, in a coordinated manner and with measurable results to prevent the recruitment of children, remove them from such situations and ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. As we have seen, access to free basic education continues to be one of the most effective means of preventing the worst forms of child labour. Despite the efforts reported by the Government, and with the support of international partners, it is vital that it continues and intensifies the necessary measures to improve access to free basic education for all children. This is particularly true for children in rural areas and in conflict-affected zones, where hostilities, damage to schools and insecurity continue to seriously hinder school enrolment.

In that regard, the Government should provide accurate information on the results achieved, particularly in relation to enrolment, school attendance and school dropout rates at the primary and lower-secondary levels to measure the real impact of the measures announced. These measures are essential for increasing school enrolment and attendance, reducing dropouts and preventing children’s exposure to the worst forms of child labour, including in contexts of conflict and displacement.

Beyond prevention, the Government must continue to adopt effective, timely measures to remove children from armed conflict and ensure their rehabilitation and social integration, including psychosocial support, case management mechanisms and suitable reintegration programmes. The high number of children deprived of liberty owing to their alleged association with armed groups, as well as the situation of children in camps such as Al-Hol and Roj, require us to keep firmly in mind that they must be treated primarily as victims and not as criminals.

We therefore urge the Government to provide information on the measures adopted to protect them; facilitate their release, when possible, in line with international law; and guarantee conditions coherent with their best interests and their future reintegration. It would be useful for the Committee of Experts to have any information on the measures adopted in that regard, as well as on the number of children who have truly benefited from rehabilitation and social integration.

We are also deeply concerned at the scale of trafficking in minors in the Syrian Arab Republic for the purpose of sexual and labour exploitation. The Government should adopt the necessary measures to prevent the sale and trafficking of children aged under 18 years and effectively protect victims. It is therefore important that the Government provides information on the measures adopted, including under the National Action Plan on trafficking, and ensures that the perpetrators are investigated and prosecuted thoroughly, with sufficiently effective and dissuasive sanctions imposed in practice.

To implement all these recommendations, we call on the Government to continue its cooperation with the ILO and seek the ILO’s technical assistance to strengthen the effective application of the Convention in law and in practice.

Chairperson – We conclude the discussion of this case. I thank the Government representative of the Syrian Arab Republic and all the speakers who have taken the floor today for their participation.

Conclusions of the Committee

The Committee took note of the written and oral information provided by the Government and the discussion that followed.

While taking note of the complex national situation, the Committee expressed its deep concern at the continued recruitment and use of children in armed conflict, the prevalence of child trafficking, and the large number of children deprived of liberty and access to education.

Taking into account the discussion, the Committee requested the Government to:

• take measures to ensure the full demobilization of all children recruited or used in armed conflict and to prevent any further recruitment, to ensure that thorough investigations and prosecutions are carried out with effective and dissuasive penalties, and provide statistical information, disaggregated by sex and region, on the results achieved;
• intensify efforts to prevent, investigate and prosecute the sale and trafficking of children, ensure that child victims are identified, protected and rehabilitated, and provide statistical information, disaggregated by sex and region, on the results achieved;
• strengthen measures to prevent the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour by improving access to free basic education, particularly in areas affected by conflict, and provide information on school enrolment, attendance and dropout rates at the primary and lower-secondary levels;
• ensure the implementation of effective and time-bound measures for the rehabilitation and social integration of children removed from the worst forms of child labour, including former child combatants, and provide information on the results of the National Action Plan 2024–2026, and the number of children rehabilitated and reintegrated.

The Committee requested the Government to avail itself of ILO technical assistance and to provide information to the Committee of Experts by 1 September 2026 on the measures taken to implement these recommendations and the results achieved.

Interpretation from Arabic: Government representative – I am delighted to take the floor on behalf of the new Government of the Syrian Arab Republic which reflects the will of the people. The promotion of decent work on the basis of international labour standards is a core objective and among the major areas of work of our Government. We envision the development of an effective, active labour market and want to put in place stable labour relations, on the basis of social dialogue, that operate properly between workers, employers and government representatives.

The Government will continue to engage in cooperation with the social partners, deploying every possible effort to bring an end to the worst forms of child labour in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic as we endeavour to do away with the practices of the former regime and the effects they have had on society and children in particular. We pay particular attention to the future of the younger generation. They will be building a new Syrian Arab Republic. We have taken steps, and we will endeavour to put this into practice in the interests of our country and of our children, who we want to protect and educate in the best possible circumstances. And we will endeavour in this vein to apply international labour standards, and we thank the ILO for its cooperation with our country in many areas.

We trust that we will receive assistance to this effect with appropriate timelines following the discussion of the case in this Committee. Lastly, we would like to reiterate the Government’s full commitment to the application of all ILO Conventions, particularly Convention No. 182. The children of the Syrian Arab Republic are the future of the Syrian Arab Republic and its prosperous future.

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

Noting that the Government’s previous report was submitted in 2017, the Committee welcomes the efforts made by the Government to fulfil its reporting obligations despite the complexity of the situation on the ground and the continued hostilities in certain parts of the country.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. Sexual slavery. The Committee notes the absence of information in the Government’s report regarding the measures taken or envisaged to identify and remove children from sexual slavery. The Committee, once again, requests the Government to provide information on the effective and time-bound measures taken to ensure the rehabilitation and social integration of children who are, or have been, victims of sexual slavery.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Internally displaced children. The Committee notes the absence of information in the Government’s report on this point.

The Committee notes that according to the UNICEF, the number of people internally displaced is 7.24 million and the number of children reached 7.5 million (Humanitarian Action for Children 2024 (Revision (1) Syrian Arab Republic).

Observing that internally displaced children are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the results achieved.

The Committee reminds the Government that it may avail itself of the technical assistance of the Office in this regard.

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

Noting that the Government’s previous report was submitted in 2017, the Committee welcomes the efforts made by the Government to fulfil its reporting obligations in 2025, despite the complexity of the situation on the ground and the continued hostilities in certain parts of the country.

Articles 3 and 7(1) of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour and penalties. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices.Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee notes the Government’s information, in its report, on the measures taken to strengthen the legislative framework aimed at preventing and criminalizing the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict. In this regard, the Committee notes that: (1) the Child Rights Law No. 21 of 2021, expressly prohibits the recruitment or use of children in combat or any related military activities and stipulates that the participation of children by any party to an armed conflict as combatants is strictly forbidden; (2) section 488 of the Penal Code, Law No. 11 of 2013 (Addendum to the Penal Code on Children in Armed Conflict) which prohibits the recruitment of children or their involvement in combat operations of any kind and provides for penalties of imprisonment ranging from 10 to 20 years for any person found guilty of recruiting or using children under 18 years of age in armed forces or armed groups.

The Committee observes that, according to the 2025 Annual Report of the UN Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict (covering January–December 2024), 1,301 grave violations against 1,205 children (863 boys, 238 girls, and 104 of unknown sex) were verified in Syria in 2024 – an 18 per cent decrease from 2023 (1,574 violations against 1,549 children). Some 527 children (489 boys, 38 girls) were verified as recruited and used by the opposition Syrian National Army (opposition SNA) (151), unidentified factions (82), Faylaq al-Sham (20), Ahrar al-Sham (15), and other armed groups. The Report also highlighted that, at the end of 2024, approximately 1,000 children, including foreign children, reportedly remained deprived of liberty for alleged association with armed groups, mainly Da’esh, and approximately 25,500 children with suspected family ties to Da’esh continued to be held in Hawl and Rawj camps (A/79/878-S/2025/247, paras 198–212). The Committee further observes, from information published on the UN News website, that in 2024 an Action Plan to end and prevent the recruitment, use, and killing of children was signed between the opposition SNA – including Ahrar al-Sham, Jaish al-Islam, the Legions and allied factions – and the United Nations. The Committee understands that the Action Plan aims to ensure the separation of children from armed groups and to prevent their future recruitment and use in hostilities, as well as to address grave violations such as the killing and maiming of children.

While taking due note of this information, the Committee must once again deeply deplore the use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, especially as it entails other violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, murders and sexual violence. It once again recalls that, under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict is considered to be one of the worst forms of child labour and that, under Article 1 of the Convention, Member States must take immediate and effective measures to secure the elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. The Committee strongly urges the Government to take effective measures to: (i) ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to put a stop to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces and groups; (ii) ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict are carried out, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice, pursuant to section 488 of the Penal Code (Law No. 11 of 2013, Addendum to the Penal Code on Children in Armed Conflict); and (iii) provide information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought, convictions handed down, and penalties imposed against such persons.

Articles 3(a), 6 and 7(1). Sale and trafficking of children, programmes of action and penalties. The Committee recalls the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act of 2010, which provides special protection for child victims of trafficking, as well as the establishment of the Department to Combat Trafficking in Persons in 2010. It also notes the Government’s information that, in 2020, the National Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons was reconstituted. The Government also indicates the adoption of a new National Plan to Combat Trafficking for the period 2020–22 which is based on four pillars: (1) Prevention, including the development of policies to reduce trafficking in persons, in particular women and children, raise awareness, and strengthen national capacities; (2) Protection, with a focus on the identification and safeguarding of victims; (3) Prosecution, including measures to ensure investigation, indictment, and effective coordination among relevant authorities; and (4) Partnership-building, through strengthened local, regional, and international cooperation.

The Committee also notes that the Child Rights Law provides for the obligation to protect children from all forms of trafficking, explicitly recognizing trafficked children as victims who shall not be held criminally or civilly liable for acts committed as a direct result of their exploitation. The law also provides for the rehabilitation of child victims of trafficking in specialized centres established for this purpose.

The Committee observes that the UN Report “Child Trafficking and Armed Conflict” – Joint study of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and the Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (2024), highlighted both the internal and cross-border dimensions to child trafficking in armed conflict, particularly in Syria, where multiple forms and locations of child trafficking have been observed since the beginning of the conflict. For instance, (1) abductions and transfers of Yazidi girls from Iraq to Syria for purposes of sexual slavery ; (2) trafficking of children perpetrated by their parents in situations of conflict (e.g., foreign nationals travelling with children to ISIS in Syria and where there is an intent to exploit the children, for instance to join armed groups); and (3) trafficking in and from camps in Northeast Syria (pages 11–12).

The Committee must express its deep concern at the continuing prevalence of child trafficking in the country. The Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to: (i) prevent the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual and labour exploitation; (ii) provide information on the measures taken in this regard, including within the framework of the National Plan to Combat Trafficking for the period 2020–2022; and (iii) ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions are carried out for persons who engage in the trafficking of children and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive sanctions are imposed. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties imposed relating to this worst form of child labour.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a) Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government in its report on the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No.138), concerning the measures taken to improve access to education. The Government reports, inter alia, on several measures undertaken with the support of UNICEF, including: (1) the national “Back-to-Learning” campaign, which provides child allowances – either in cash or in kind – to families re-enrolling children who had previously dropped out of school; (2) the implementation of an intensive education programme; and (3) school nutrition initiatives, which offer light meals and ready-made meals to promote school attendance. Notably, the drop-out rate in basic education stands at 3.94 per cent for the 2023-2024 period.

The Government also indicates that section 16 of the Personal Status Law, as amended by Law No. 20 of 2019, sets the legal minimum marriageable age at 18 years for both boys and girls, to prevent girls from dropping out of school and to promote education for girls, who represent approximately 50.2 cent of the total student population in 2024. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education is collaborating with international organizations to enhance the infrastructure for girls’ education, including the provision of separate sanitary facilities for boys and girls, as well as the implementation of health education and awareness programmes targeted at women and girls.

The Committee notes from the 2024 report of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry (covering the period 1 July to 31 December 2023) that schools have been impacted by the hostilities, in areas affected by armed conflict restricting access to education for thousands of pupils (A/HRC/55/64). The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that 1,054 schools were damaged in north-west Syria, rendering hundreds of schools out of service. While these attacks on educational facilities have varied over the past 13 years, there has been a noticeable increase in attacks on education over the past year – between September 2023 and September 2024, there has been a total of 43 attacks on schools, compared to 8 attacks in 2022–23. While noting the measures taken by the Government, the Committee must once again express its deep concern at the large number of children who are deprived of access to education because of the climate of insecurity prevailing in the country. Considering that education plays a key role in preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee strongly encourages the Government to continue taking all necessary measures to improve access to free basic education for all children, particularly girls, children in rural areas and in areas affected by the conflict, by increasing the school enrolment and attendance rates at the primary and lower-secondary levels and by decreasing the drop-out rates. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the results achieved through the implementation of the above-mentioned measures including information on the school enrolment, attendance rates and drop-out rates at the primary and lower-secondary levels.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. Children affected by armed conflict. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that a National Action Plan (2022) has been developed to address the situation of child victims of military recruitment. The Plan encompasses legal measures, rehabilitation and training, the provision of psychosocial support, community awareness-raising, and mechanisms for identifying and reaching children who have been subjected to recruitment. A national committee has been established to oversee its implementation. Moreover, a training guide has been prepared for officials dealing with child victims of military recruitment, and workshops have been organized with the participation of judges, lawyers, human rights advocates and media professionals, with a view to strengthening capacities and raising awareness of the risks associated with the military recruitment of children.

The Committee observes that, the 2023 Report of the UN Secretary-General on Children and armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic highlighted that some progress has been made regarding the repatriation of children deprived of liberty in the north-east of the Syrian Arab Republic. It urged countries of origin and the relevant Syrian authorities to prioritize the voluntary repatriation of women and children in the camps, including those with suspected family links to Da’esh, in accordance with international law and the principles of non-refoulement, family unity and the best interests of the child, with support from the United Nations (S/2023/805, para. 32).

The Committee also notes that in its 2025 Report on Children and Armed Conflict, the UN Secretary-General urged the interim authorities, in Syria, to ensure the release of the children associated in the armed conflict, and facilitate the implementation of reintegration programmes for children, in coordination with the United Nations (A/79/878-S/2025/247, para. 207). The Committee strongly urges the Government to continue to take effective and time-bound measures to prevent the engagement of children in armed conflict and to rehabilitate and integrate former child combatants. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of children rehabilitated and socially integrated.

The Committee reminds the Government that it may avail itself of the technical assistance of the Office in this regard.

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

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

The Committee notes with deep concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It expects that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments. The Committee informs the Government that, if it has not supplied replies to the points raised by 1 September 2025, then it may proceed with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the information at its disposal at its next session.

Repetition

Articles 3(a) and 5 of the Convention. Sale and trafficking of children and monitoring mechanisms. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s information that the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons established pursuant to Law No. 3 of 2010 had carried out several inspection campaigns to monitor trafficking in persons, in particular trafficking in children. According to the statistical data provided by the Government, only 21 cases relating to trafficking in children were reported from 2010 to 2014. The Committee noted, however, that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern that trafficking in women and girls has increased during the conflict and that they are at high risk of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 33).

The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not provide information on this issue in its report. It notes that, according to the 2016 report of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development entitled “Targeting Vulnerabilities; The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons: A Study of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq”, while official statistics on trafficking cases identified by the authorities would suggest a minor or negligible impact of the Syrian war on trafficking in all five countries, the desk and field research conducted in the context of the study paints an entirely different picture. According to the report, while the potential trafficking cases identified through research, other than the official statistical data, have not been determined by law enforcement or state social services to be actual trafficking cases, indicators and elements of adult and child trafficking crimes have been analysed in order to shed light on the significant proportion of trafficking cases that have never come to the attention of the responsible authorities. The study reveals that worst forms of child labour, child trafficking for labour exploitation, exploitation through begging and trafficking for sexual exploitation affected children in the five countries before the war, but have now particularly increased among Syrians. The incidence of trafficking in persons and the nature and magnitude of vulnerabilities to trafficking (such as impoverishment, lack of income, lack of access to services and more) are particularly related to the sheer magnitude of the displacement of people (6.6 million people are reported to be internally displaced with the Syrian Arab Republic) and partly to the legal, policy, infrastructural, security and socio-economic contexts of the countries under study, including the Syrian Arab Republic. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to prevent the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual and labour exploitation, and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated information on the number of cases concerning the sale of children and child trafficking that have been reported by the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons, as well as on the investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions applied relating to this worst form of child labour.

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

The Committee notes with deep concern that the Government’s report thas not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments. The Committee informs the Government that, if it has not supplied replies to the points raised by 1 September 2025, then it may proceed with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the information at its disposal at its next session.

Repetition

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices. Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the Syrian Arab Republic had adopted a series of legislative reforms such as Law No. 11/2013 which criminalizes all forms of recruitment and the use of children under the age of 18 years by armed forces and armed groups. It noted, however, that numerous armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic, including the Free Syrian Army affiliated groups (FSA), the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG), Ahrar al-Sham, Islamic State in Iraq and Sham/the Levant (ISIS/ISIL) and other armed groups were reportedly recruiting and using children for logistics, handling ammunition, manning checkpoints and as combatants.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that armed terrorist groups recruit children and involve them in violence and exploit them sexually. The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic of 9 June 2016 (A/70/919, paragraphs 50–52), from early 2015, UNICEF verified 46 cases of recruitment (43 boys, one girl, two unknown): 21 were attributed to ISIL, 16 to non-state armed opposition groups, five to armed groups affiliated with the Government, two (including a girl) to YPG, and two to government forces. UNICEF reported that children were increasingly recruited at younger ages (some as young as 7 years old) by non-state armed groups. Children’s participation in combat was widespread and some armed opposition groups forced children to carry out grave human rights abuses, including executions and torture, while government forces allegedly submitted children to forced labour or used them as human shields. The Secretary-General also refers to reports from the OHCHR, according to which ISIL publicly announced, on 11 December 2015, the already known existence of a children’s section among its ranks, the “Cubs of the Caliphate”. The OHCHR also received allegations that ISIL was encouraging children between 10 and 14 years of age to join, and that they were training children in military combat.

The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict of 20 April 2016 (2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, A/70/836-S/2016/360, paragraphs 148–163), a total of 362 cases of recruitment and use of children were verified (the Secretary-General indicates that the figures do not reflect the full scale of grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict), and attributed to ISIL (274), the Free Syrian Army and affiliated groups (62), Liwa’ al Tawhid (11), popular committees (five), YPG (four), Ahrar al-Sham (three), the Nusrah Front (two) and the Army of Islam (one). Of the verified cases, 56 per cent involved children under 15 years of age, which represents a significant increase compared with 2014. The Secretary-General further indicates that the massive recruitment of children by ISIL continued, and that centres in rural Aleppo, Dayr al-Zawr and rural Raqqah existed that provided military training to at least 124 boys between 10 and 15 years of age. Verification of the use of child foreign fighters increased as well, with 18 cases of children as young as 7 years of age. In addition, the recruitment and use of children as young as 9 years of age by the Free Syrian Army was also verified, as well as the recruitment of 11 Syrian refugee children from neighbouring countries by Liwa’ al-Tawhid, and the YPG continued to recruit boys and girls as young as 14 years of age for combat roles. Recruitment and use by pro-government groups was also verified, with five cases of boys being recruited by the Popular Committee of Tallkalah (Homs) to work as guards and conduct patrols. In addition, there were allegations of the use of children by government forces to man checkpoints.

The Committee must once again deeply deplore the use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, especially as it entails other violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, murders and sexual violence. It once again recalls that, under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict is considered to be one of the worst forms of child labour and that, under Article 1 of the Convention, member States must take immediate and effective measures to secure the elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. While acknowledging the complexity of the situation prevailing on the ground and the presence of armed groups and armed conflict in the country, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take measures, using all available means, to ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to put a stop, in practice, to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces and groups. The Committee once again urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict are carried out, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice, pursuant to Law No. 11 of 2013. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought and convictions handed down against such persons.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee previously noted that, with approximately 5,000 schools destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic, the resulting sharp decline in children’s education continued to be a matter of great concern among the population. This report also indicated that more than half of Syrian school-age children, up to 2.4 million, were out of school as a consequence of the occupation, destruction and insecurity of schools.

The Committee notes that, according to the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (paragraph 157), the number of schools destroyed, partially damaged, used as shelters for internally displaced persons or rendered otherwise inaccessible has reached 6,500. The report refers to information from the Ministry of Education, according to which 571 students and 419 teachers had been killed in 2015, and from the United Nations that 69 attacks on educational facilities and personnel were verified and attributed to all fronts, which killed and maimed 174 children. The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraphs 50–53), a further 400,000 children were at risk of dropping out of school as a direct result of conflict, violence and displacement. While basic education facilities were in place in the displacement centres visited by the Special Rapporteur, such centres, often using school buildings, offer only limited educational facilities.

According to the same report, UNICEF is working with local partners to reach some 3 million children and has implemented an informal education programme to reduce the number of children out of school. The inter-agency initiative “No Lost Generation” is a self-learning programme aimed at reaching 500,000 children who missed out on years of schooling. In areas hosting high numbers of displaced children, UNICEF is also rehabilitating 600 damaged schools and creating 300 prefabricated classrooms to accommodate 300,000 additional children. The Committee further notes that, according to UNICEF’s 2016 Annual Report on the Syrian Arab Republic, UNICEF’s interventions in education, focusing on quality, access and institutional strengthening, contributed to an increase in school enrolment from 3.24 million children (60 per cent of school-age population) to 3.66 million (68 per cent) between 2014–15 and 2015–16. These efforts also resulted in a decrease in the number of out-of-school children from 2.12 million (40 per cent) in 2014–15 to 1.75 million (32 per cent) in 2015–16.

Nevertheless, the Committee notes that, in his report, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons declares that the challenge of providing even basic education access to many internally displaced children is immense and many thousands of children are likely to remain out of education in the foreseeable future (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 53). The Committee is, therefore, once again bound to express its deep concern at the large number of children who are deprived of education because of the climate of insecurity prevailing in the country. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts and take effective and time-bound measures to improve the functioning of the educational system in the country and to facilitate access to free basic education for all Syrian children, especially in areas affected by armed conflict, and giving particular attention to the situation of girls. It requests the Government to provide information on concrete measures taken in this regard.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. 1. Children affected by armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic had become common and that a great majority of the children recruited are trained, armed and used in combat.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the competent authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic seek to care for children recruited in armed conflict and to help them return to ordinary life. However, the Committee notes with deep concern that the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic has not changed and that not only are there no reports of children having been withdrawn from armed forces and groups in the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict but that, according to this report, children continue to be recruited and used in armed conflict. The Committee, therefore, strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to prevent the engagement of children in armed conflict and to rehabilitate and integrate former child combatants. It once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of children rehabilitated and socially integrated.

2. Sexual slavery. The Committee previously noted that ISIS abducted hundreds of Yazidi women and girls, most of whom were sold as “war booty” or given as “concubines” to ISIS fighters, and that dozens of girls and women were transported to various locations in the Syrian Arab Republic, including Al Raqqah, Al Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr, where they were kept in sexual slavery.

The Committee notes with regret the absence of information in the Government’s report on this issue. It notes that, according to the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 15 June 2016 entitled “They came to destroy: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis” (A/HRC/32/CRP.2), ISIS has sought to destroy the Yazidis through such egregious human rights violations as killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and mental harm. The report indicates that over 3,200 women and children are still held by ISIS. Most are in the Syrian Arab Republic where Yazidi girls continue to be sexually enslaved and Yazidi boys indoctrinated, trained and used in hostilities. The report reveals that captured Yazidi women and girls over the age of 9 years are deemed the property of ISIS and are sold in slave markets or, more recently through online auctions, to ISIS fighters. While held by ISIS fighters, these Yazidi women and girls are subjected to brutal sexual violence and regularly forced to work in their houses, in many instances forced to work as domestic servants of the fighter and his family. The Committee deeply deplores the fact that Yazidi children continue to be victims of sexual slavery and forced labour. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove Yazidi children under 18 years of age who are victims of forced labour and sexual exploitation and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It once again requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken in this regard, and the number of children removed from sexual exploitation and rehabilitated.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Internally displaced children. The Committee previously noted that, by early 2013, there were 3 million children displaced and in need of assistance inside the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 67), the extent of the conflict and displacement has had a massive impact on children, many of whom have experienced violence first-hand and/or witnessed extreme violence, including the killing of family members and/or separation from family members. The Special Rapporteur indicates that child protection concerns and issues, including child labour resulting from parents’ loss of livelihood, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence and early and forced marriage, continue to be reported. Children have also been recruited and used by different parties to the conflict, both in combat and support roles. Observing with concern that internally displaced children are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the results achieved.

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

The Committee expects that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.

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

The Committee notes with deep concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It expects that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments. The Committee informs the Government that, if it has not supplied replies to the points raised by 1 September 2024, then it may proceed with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the information at its disposal at its next session.

Repetition

Articles 3(a) and 5 of the Convention. Sale and trafficking of children and monitoring mechanisms. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s information that the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons established pursuant to Law No. 3 of 2010 had carried out several inspection campaigns to monitor trafficking in persons, in particular trafficking in children. According to the statistical data provided by the Government, only 21 cases relating to trafficking in children were reported from 2010 to 2014. The Committee noted, however, that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern that trafficking in women and girls has increased during the conflict and that they are at high risk of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 33).

The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not provide information on this issue in its report. It notes that, according to the 2016 report of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development entitled “Targeting Vulnerabilities; The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons: A Study of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq”, while official statistics on trafficking cases identified by the authorities would suggest a minor or negligible impact of the Syrian war on trafficking in all five countries, the desk and field research conducted in the context of the study paints an entirely different picture. According to the report, while the potential trafficking cases identified through research, other than the official statistical data, have not been determined by law enforcement or state social services to be actual trafficking cases, indicators and elements of adult and child trafficking crimes have been analysed in order to shed light on the significant proportion of trafficking cases that have never come to the attention of the responsible authorities. The study reveals that worst forms of child labour, child trafficking for labour exploitation, exploitation through begging and trafficking for sexual exploitation affected children in the five countries before the war, but have now particularly increased among Syrians. The incidence of trafficking in persons and the nature and magnitude of vulnerabilities to trafficking (such as impoverishment, lack of income, lack of access to services and more) are particularly related to the sheer magnitude of the displacement of people (6.6 million people are reported to be internally displaced with the Syrian Arab Republic) and partly to the legal, policy, infrastructural, security and socio-economic contexts of the countries under study, including the Syrian Arab Republic. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to prevent the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual and labour exploitation, and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated information on the number of cases concerning the sale of children and child trafficking that have been reported by the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons, as well as on the investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions applied relating to this worst form of child labour.

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

The Committee notes with deep concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments. The Committee informs the Government that, if it has not supplied replies to the points raised by 1 September 2024, then it may proceed with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the information at its disposal at its next session.

Repetition

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices. Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the Syrian Arab Republic had adopted a series of legislative reforms such as Law No. 11/2013 which criminalizes all forms of recruitment and the use of children under the age of 18 years by armed forces and armed groups. It noted, however, that numerous armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic, including the Free Syrian Army affiliated groups (FSA), the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG), Ahrar al-Sham, Islamic State in Iraq and Sham/the Levant (ISIS/ISIL) and other armed groups were reportedly recruiting and using children for logistics, handling ammunition, manning checkpoints and as combatants.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that armed terrorist groups recruit children and involve them in violence and exploit them sexually. The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic of 9 June 2016 (A/70/919, paragraphs 50–52), from early 2015, UNICEF verified 46 cases of recruitment (43 boys, one girl, two unknown): 21 were attributed to ISIL, 16 to non-state armed opposition groups, five to armed groups affiliated with the Government, two (including a girl) to YPG, and two to government forces. UNICEF reported that children were increasingly recruited at younger ages (some as young as 7 years old) by non-state armed groups. Children’s participation in combat was widespread and some armed opposition groups forced children to carry out grave human rights abuses, including executions and torture, while government forces allegedly submitted children to forced labour or used them as human shields. The Secretary-General also refers to reports from the OHCHR, according to which ISIL publicly announced, on 11 December 2015, the already known existence of a children’s section among its ranks, the “Cubs of the Caliphate”. The OHCHR also received allegations that ISIL was encouraging children between 10 and 14 years of age to join, and that they were training children in military combat.

The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict of 20 April 2016 (2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, A/70/836-S/2016/360, paragraphs 148–163), a total of 362 cases of recruitment and use of children were verified (the Secretary-General indicates that the figures do not reflect the full scale of grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict), and attributed to ISIL (274), the Free Syrian Army and affiliated groups (62), Liwa’ al Tawhid (11), popular committees (five), YPG (four), Ahrar al-Sham (three), the Nusrah Front (two) and the Army of Islam (one). Of the verified cases, 56 per cent involved children under 15 years of age, which represents a significant increase compared with 2014. The Secretary-General further indicates that the massive recruitment of children by ISIL continued, and that centres in rural Aleppo, Dayr al-Zawr and rural Raqqah existed that provided military training to at least 124 boys between 10 and 15 years of age. Verification of the use of child foreign fighters increased as well, with 18 cases of children as young as 7 years of age. In addition, the recruitment and use of children as young as 9 years of age by the Free Syrian Army was also verified, as well as the recruitment of 11 Syrian refugee children from neighbouring countries by Liwa’ al-Tawhid, and the YPG continued to recruit boys and girls as young as 14 years of age for combat roles. Recruitment and use by pro-government groups was also verified, with five cases of boys being recruited by the Popular Committee of Tallkalah (Homs) to work as guards and conduct patrols. In addition, there were allegations of the use of children by government forces to man checkpoints.

The Committee must once again deeply deplore the use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, especially as it entails other violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, murders and sexual violence. It once again recalls that, under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict is considered to be one of the worst forms of child labour and that, under Article 1 of the Convention, member States must take immediate and effective measures to secure the elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. While acknowledging the complexity of the situation prevailing on the ground and the presence of armed groups and armed conflict in the country, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take measures, using all available means, to ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to put a stop, in practice, to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces and groups. The Committee once again urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict are carried out, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice, pursuant to Law No. 11 of 2013. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought and convictions handed down against such persons.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee previously noted that, with approximately 5,000 schools destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic, the resulting sharp decline in children’s education continued to be a matter of great concern among the population. This report also indicated that more than half of Syrian school-age children, up to 2.4 million, were out of school as a consequence of the occupation, destruction and insecurity of schools.

The Committee notes that, according to the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (paragraph 157), the number of schools destroyed, partially damaged, used as shelters for internally displaced persons or rendered otherwise inaccessible has reached 6,500. The report refers to information from the Ministry of Education, according to which 571 students and 419 teachers had been killed in 2015, and from the United Nations that 69 attacks on educational facilities and personnel were verified and attributed to all fronts, which killed and maimed 174 children. The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraphs 50–53), a further 400,000 children were at risk of dropping out of school as a direct result of conflict, violence and displacement. While basic education facilities were in place in the displacement centres visited by the Special Rapporteur, such centres, often using school buildings, offer only limited educational facilities.

According to the same report, UNICEF is working with local partners to reach some 3 million children and has implemented an informal education programme to reduce the number of children out of school. The inter-agency initiative “No Lost Generation” is a self-learning programme aimed at reaching 500,000 children who missed out on years of schooling. In areas hosting high numbers of displaced children, UNICEF is also rehabilitating 600 damaged schools and creating 300 prefabricated classrooms to accommodate 300,000 additional children. The Committee further notes that, according to UNICEF’s 2016 Annual Report on the Syrian Arab Republic, UNICEF’s interventions in education, focusing on quality, access and institutional strengthening, contributed to an increase in school enrolment from 3.24 million children (60 per cent of school-age population) to 3.66 million (68 per cent) between 2014–15 and 2015–16. These efforts also resulted in a decrease in the number of out-of-school children from 2.12 million (40 per cent) in 2014–15 to 1.75 million (32 per cent) in 2015–16.

Nevertheless, the Committee notes that, in his report, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons declares that the challenge of providing even basic education access to many internally displaced children is immense and many thousands of children are likely to remain out of education in the foreseeable future (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 53). The Committee is, therefore, once again bound to express its deep concern at the large number of children who are deprived of education because of the climate of insecurity prevailing in the country. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts and take effective and time-bound measures to improve the functioning of the educational system in the country and to facilitate access to free basic education for all Syrian children, especially in areas affected by armed conflict, and giving particular attention to the situation of girls. It requests the Government to provide information on concrete measures taken in this regard.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. 1. Children affected by armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic had become common and that a great majority of the children recruited are trained, armed and used in combat.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the competent authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic seek to care for children recruited in armed conflict and to help them return to ordinary life. However, the Committee notes with deep concern that the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic has not changed and that not only are there no reports of children having been withdrawn from armed forces and groups in the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict but that, according to this report, children continue to be recruited and used in armed conflict. The Committee, therefore, strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to prevent the engagement of children in armed conflict and to rehabilitate and integrate former child combatants. It once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of children rehabilitated and socially integrated.

2. Sexual slavery. The Committee previously noted that ISIS abducted hundreds of Yazidi women and girls, most of whom were sold as “war booty” or given as “concubines” to ISIS fighters, and that dozens of girls and women were transported to various locations in the Syrian Arab Republic, including Al Raqqah, Al Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr, where they were kept in sexual slavery.

The Committee notes with regret the absence of information in the Government’s report on this issue. It notes that, according to the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 15 June 2016 entitled “They came to destroy: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis” (A/HRC/32/CRP.2), ISIS has sought to destroy the Yazidis through such egregious human rights violations as killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and mental harm. The report indicates that over 3,200 women and children are still held by ISIS. Most are in the Syrian Arab Republic where Yazidi girls continue to be sexually enslaved and Yazidi boys indoctrinated, trained and used in hostilities. The report reveals that captured Yazidi women and girls over the age of 9 years are deemed the property of ISIS and are sold in slave markets or, more recently through online auctions, to ISIS fighters. While held by ISIS fighters, these Yazidi women and girls are subjected to brutal sexual violence and regularly forced to work in their houses, in many instances forced to work as domestic servants of the fighter and his family. The Committee deeply deplores the fact that Yazidi children continue to be victims of sexual slavery and forced labour. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove Yazidi children under 18 years of age who are victims of forced labour and sexual exploitation and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It once again requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken in this regard, and the number of children removed from sexual exploitation and rehabilitated.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Internally displaced children. The Committee previously noted that, by early 2013, there were 3 million children displaced and in need of assistance inside the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 67), the extent of the conflict and displacement has had a massive impact on children, many of whom have experienced violence first-hand and/or witnessed extreme violence, including the killing of family members and/or separation from family members. The Special Rapporteur indicates that child protection concerns and issues, including child labour resulting from parents’ loss of livelihood, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence and early and forced marriage, continue to be reported. Children have also been recruited and used by different parties to the conflict, both in combat and support roles. Observing with concern that internally displaced children are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the results achieved.

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

The Committee expects that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

The Committee notes with deep concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It expects that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments. The Committee informs the Government that, if it has not supplied replies to the points raised by 1 September 2023, then it may proceed with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the information at its disposal at its next session.

Repetition

Articles 3(a) and 5 of the Convention. Sale and trafficking of children and monitoring mechanisms. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s information that the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons established pursuant to Law No. 3 of 2010 had carried out several inspection campaigns to monitor trafficking in persons, in particular trafficking in children. According to the statistical data provided by the Government, only 21 cases relating to trafficking in children were reported from 2010 to 2014. The Committee noted, however, that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern that trafficking in women and girls has increased during the conflict and that they are at high risk of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 33).

The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not provide information on this issue in its report. It notes that, according to the 2016 report of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development entitled “Targeting Vulnerabilities; The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons: A Study of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq”, while official statistics on trafficking cases identified by the authorities would suggest a minor or negligible impact of the Syrian war on trafficking in all five countries, the desk and field research conducted in the context of the study paints an entirely different picture. According to the report, while the potential trafficking cases identified through research, other than the official statistical data, have not been determined by law enforcement or state social services to be actual trafficking cases, indicators and elements of adult and child trafficking crimes have been analysed in order to shed light on the significant proportion of trafficking cases that have never come to the attention of the responsible authorities. The study reveals that worst forms of child labour, child trafficking for labour exploitation, exploitation through begging and trafficking for sexual exploitation affected children in the five countries before the war, but have now particularly increased among Syrians. The incidence of trafficking in persons and the nature and magnitude of vulnerabilities to trafficking (such as impoverishment, lack of income, lack of access to services and more) are particularly related to the sheer magnitude of the displacement of people (6.6 million people are reported to be internally displaced with the Syrian Arab Republic) and partly to the legal, policy, infrastructural, security and socio-economic contexts of the countries under study, including the Syrian Arab Republic.While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to prevent the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual and labour exploitation, and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated information on the number of cases concerning the sale of children and child trafficking that have been reported by the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons, as well as on the investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions applied relating to this worst form of child labour.

Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

The Committee notes with deep concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments. The Committee informs the Government that, if it has not supplied replies to the points raised by 1 September 2023, then it may proceed with the examination of the application of the Convention on the basis of the information at its disposal at its next session.

Repetition

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices. Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the Syrian Arab Republic had adopted a series of legislative reforms such as Law No. 11/2013 which criminalizes all forms of recruitment and the use of children under the age of 18 years by armed forces and armed groups. It noted, however, that numerous armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic, including the Free Syrian Army affiliated groups (FSA), the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG), Ahrar al-Sham, Islamic State in Iraq and Sham/the Levant (ISIS/ISIL) and other armed groups were reportedly recruiting and using children for logistics, handling ammunition, manning checkpoints and as combatants.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that armed terrorist groups recruit children and involve them in violence and exploit them sexually. The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic of 9 June 2016 (A/70/919, paragraphs 50–52), from early 2015, UNICEF verified 46 cases of recruitment (43 boys, one girl, two unknown): 21 were attributed to ISIL, 16 to non-state armed opposition groups, five to armed groups affiliated with the Government, two (including a girl) to YPG, and two to government forces. UNICEF reported that children were increasingly recruited at younger ages (some as young as 7 years old) by non-state armed groups. Children’s participation in combat was widespread and some armed opposition groups forced children to carry out grave human rights abuses, including executions and torture, while government forces allegedly submitted children to forced labour or used them as human shields. The Secretary-General also refers to reports from the OHCHR, according to which ISIL publicly announced, on 11 December 2015, the already known existence of a children’s section among its ranks, the “Cubs of the Caliphate”. The OHCHR also received allegations that ISIL was encouraging children between 10 and 14 years of age to join, and that they were training children in military combat.

The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict of 20 April 2016 (2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, A/70/836-S/2016/360, paragraphs 148–163), a total of 362 cases of recruitment and use of children were verified (the Secretary-General indicates that the figures do not reflect the full scale of grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict), and attributed to ISIL (274), the Free Syrian Army and affiliated groups (62), Liwa’ al Tawhid (11), popular committees (five), YPG (four), Ahrar al-Sham (three), the Nusrah Front (two) and the Army of Islam (one). Of the verified cases, 56 per cent involved children under 15 years of age, which represents a significant increase compared with 2014. The Secretary-General further indicates that the massive recruitment of children by ISIL continued, and that centres in rural Aleppo, Dayr al-Zawr and rural Raqqah existed that provided military training to at least 124 boys between 10 and 15 years of age. Verification of the use of child foreign fighters increased as well, with 18 cases of children as young as 7 years of age. In addition, the recruitment and use of children as young as 9 years of age by the Free Syrian Army was also verified, as well as the recruitment of 11 Syrian refugee children from neighbouring countries by Liwa’ al-Tawhid, and the YPG continued to recruit boys and girls as young as 14 years of age for combat roles. Recruitment and use by pro-government groups was also verified, with five cases of boys being recruited by the Popular Committee of Tallkalah (Homs) to work as guards and conduct patrols. In addition, there were allegations of the use of children by government forces to man checkpoints.

The Committee must once again deeply deplore the use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, especially as it entails other violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, murders and sexual violence. It once again recalls that, under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict is considered to be one of the worst forms of child labour and that, under Article 1 of the Convention, member States must take immediate and effective measures to secure the elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency.While acknowledging the complexity of the situation prevailing on the ground and the presence of armed groups and armed conflict in the country, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take measures, using all available means, to ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to put a stop, in practice, to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces and groups. The Committee once again urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict are carried out, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice, pursuant to Law No. 11 of 2013. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought and convictions handed down against such persons.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee previously noted that, with approximately 5,000 schools destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic, the resulting sharp decline in children’s education continued to be a matter of great concern among the population. This report also indicated that more than half of Syrian school-age children, up to 2.4 million, were out of school as a consequence of the occupation, destruction and insecurity of schools.

The Committee notes that, according to the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (paragraph 157), the number of schools destroyed, partially damaged, used as shelters for internally displaced persons or rendered otherwise inaccessible has reached 6,500. The report refers to information from the Ministry of Education, according to which 571 students and 419 teachers had been killed in 2015, and from the United Nations that 69 attacks on educational facilities and personnel were verified and attributed to all fronts, which killed and maimed 174 children. The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraphs 50–53), a further 400,000 children were at risk of dropping out of school as a direct result of conflict, violence and displacement. While basic education facilities were in place in the displacement centres visited by the Special Rapporteur, such centres, often using school buildings, offer only limited educational facilities.

According to the same report, UNICEF is working with local partners to reach some 3 million children and has implemented an informal education programme to reduce the number of children out of school. The inter-agency initiative “No Lost Generation” is a self-learning programme aimed at reaching 500,000 children who missed out on years of schooling. In areas hosting high numbers of displaced children, UNICEF is also rehabilitating 600 damaged schools and creating 300 prefabricated classrooms to accommodate 300,000 additional children. The Committee further notes that, according to UNICEF’s 2016 Annual Report on the Syrian Arab Republic, UNICEF’s interventions in education, focusing on quality, access and institutional strengthening, contributed to an increase in school enrolment from 3.24 million children (60 per cent of school-age population) to 3.66 million (68 per cent) between 2014–15 and 2015–16. These efforts also resulted in a decrease in the number of out-of-school children from 2.12 million (40 per cent) in 2014–15 to 1.75 million (32 per cent) in 2015–16.

Nevertheless, the Committee notes that, in his report, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons declares that the challenge of providing even basic education access to many internally displaced children is immense and many thousands of children are likely to remain out of education in the foreseeable future (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 53). The Committee is, therefore, once again bound to express its deep concern at the large number of children who are deprived of education because of the climate of insecurity prevailing in the country.While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts and take effective and time-bound measures to improve the functioning of the educational system in the country and to facilitate access to free basic education for all Syrian children, especially in areas affected by armed conflict, and giving particular attention to the situation of girls. It requests the Government to provide information on concrete measures taken in this regard.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. 1. Children affected by armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic had become common and that a great majority of the children recruited are trained, armed and used in combat.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the competent authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic seek to care for children recruited in armed conflict and to help them return to ordinary life. However, the Committee notes with deep concern that the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic has not changed and that not only are there no reports of children having been withdrawn from armed forces and groups in the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict but that, according to this report, children continue to be recruited and used in armed conflict.The Committee, therefore, strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to prevent the engagement of children in armed conflict and to rehabilitate and integrate former child combatants. It once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of children rehabilitated and socially integrated.

2. Sexual slavery. The Committee previously noted that ISIS abducted hundreds of Yazidi women and girls, most of whom were sold as “war booty” or given as “concubines” to ISIS fighters, and that dozens of girls and women were transported to various locations in the Syrian Arab Republic, including Al Raqqah, Al Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr, where they were kept in sexual slavery.

The Committee notes with regret the absence of information in the Government’s report on this issue. It notes that, according to the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 15 June 2016 entitled “They came to destroy: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis” (A/HRC/32/CRP.2), ISIS has sought to destroy the Yazidis through such egregious human rights violations as killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and mental harm. The report indicates that over 3,200 women and children are still held by ISIS. Most are in the Syrian Arab Republic where Yazidi girls continue to be sexually enslaved and Yazidi boys indoctrinated, trained and used in hostilities. The report reveals that captured Yazidi women and girls over the age of 9 years are deemed the property of ISIS and are sold in slave markets or, more recently through online auctions, to ISIS fighters. While held by ISIS fighters, these Yazidi women and girls are subjected to brutal sexual violence and regularly forced to work in their houses, in many instances forced to work as domestic servants of the fighter and his family. The Committee deeply deplores the fact that Yazidi children continue to be victims of sexual slavery and forced labour.While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove Yazidi children under 18 years of age who are victims of forced labour and sexual exploitation and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It once again requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken in this regard, and the number of children removed from sexual exploitation and rehabilitated.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Internally displaced children. The Committee previously noted that, by early 2013, there were 3 million children displaced and in need of assistance inside the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 67), the extent of the conflict and displacement has had a massive impact on children, many of whom have experienced violence first-hand and/or witnessed extreme violence, including the killing of family members and/or separation from family members. The Special Rapporteur indicates that child protection concerns and issues, including child labour resulting from parents’ loss of livelihood, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence and early and forced marriage, continue to be reported. Children have also been recruited and used by different parties to the conflict, both in combat and support roles.Observing with concern that internally displaced children are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the results achieved.

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

The Committee expects that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

The Committee notes with concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments.

Repetition

Articles 3(a) and 5 of the Convention. Sale and trafficking of children and monitoring mechanisms. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s information that the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons established pursuant to Law No. 3 of 2010 had carried out several inspection campaigns to monitor trafficking in persons, in particular trafficking in children. According to the statistical data provided by the Government, only 21 cases relating to trafficking in children were reported from 2010 to 2014. The Committee noted, however, that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern that trafficking in women and girls has increased during the conflict and that they are at high risk of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 33).

The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not provide information on this issue in its report. It notes that, according to the 2016 report of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development entitled “Targeting Vulnerabilities; The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons: A Study of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq”, while official statistics on trafficking cases identified by the authorities would suggest a minor or negligible impact of the Syrian war on trafficking in all five countries, the desk and field research conducted in the context of the study paints an entirely different picture. According to the report, while the potential trafficking cases identified through research, other than the official statistical data, have not been determined by law enforcement or state social services to be actual trafficking cases, indicators and elements of adult and child trafficking crimes have been analysed in order to shed light on the significant proportion of trafficking cases that have never come to the attention of the responsible authorities. The study reveals that worst forms of child labour, child trafficking for labour exploitation, exploitation through begging and trafficking for sexual exploitation affected children in the five countries before the war, but have now particularly increased among Syrians. The incidence of trafficking in persons and the nature and magnitude of vulnerabilities to trafficking (such as impoverishment, lack of income, lack of access to services and more) are particularly related to the sheer magnitude of the displacement of people (6.6 million people are reported to be internally displaced with the Syrian Arab Republic) and partly to the legal, policy, infrastructural, security and socio-economic contexts of the countries under study, including the Syrian Arab Republic. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to prevent the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual and labour exploitation, and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated information on the number of cases concerning the sale of children and child trafficking that have been reported by the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons, as well as on the investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions applied relating to this worst form of child labour.

Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

The Committee notes with concern that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments.

Repetition

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices. Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the Syrian Arab Republic had adopted a series of legislative reforms such as Law No. 11/2013 which criminalizes all forms of recruitment and the use of children under the age of 18 years by armed forces and armed groups. It noted, however, that numerous armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic, including the Free Syrian Army affiliated groups (FSA), the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG), Ahrar al-Sham, Islamic State in Iraq and Sham/the Levant (ISIS/ISIL) and other armed groups were reportedly recruiting and using children for logistics, handling ammunition, manning checkpoints and as combatants.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that armed terrorist groups recruit children and involve them in violence and exploit them sexually. The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic of 9 June 2016 (A/70/919, paragraphs 50–52), from early 2015, UNICEF verified 46 cases of recruitment (43 boys, one girl, two unknown): 21 were attributed to ISIL, 16 to non-state armed opposition groups, five to armed groups affiliated with the Government, two (including a girl) to YPG, and two to government forces. UNICEF reported that children were increasingly recruited at younger ages (some as young as 7 years old) by non-state armed groups. Children’s participation in combat was widespread and some armed opposition groups forced children to carry out grave human rights abuses, including executions and torture, while government forces allegedly submitted children to forced labour or used them as human shields. The Secretary-General also refers to reports from the OHCHR, according to which ISIL publicly announced, on 11 December 2015, the already known existence of a children’s section among its ranks, the “Cubs of the Caliphate”. The OHCHR also received allegations that ISIL was encouraging children between 10 and 14 years of age to join, and that they were training children in military combat.

The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict of 20 April 2016 (2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, A/70/836-S/2016/360, paragraphs 148–163), a total of 362 cases of recruitment and use of children were verified (the Secretary-General indicates that the figures do not reflect the full scale of grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict), and attributed to ISIL (274), the Free Syrian Army and affiliated groups (62), Liwa’ al Tawhid (11), popular committees (five), YPG (four), Ahrar al-Sham (three), the Nusrah Front (two) and the Army of Islam (one). Of the verified cases, 56 per cent involved children under 15 years of age, which represents a significant increase compared with 2014. The Secretary-General further indicates that the massive recruitment of children by ISIL continued, and that centres in rural Aleppo, Dayr al-Zawr and rural Raqqah existed that provided military training to at least 124 boys between 10 and 15 years of age. Verification of the use of child foreign fighters increased as well, with 18 cases of children as young as 7 years of age. In addition, the recruitment and use of children as young as 9 years of age by the Free Syrian Army was also verified, as well as the recruitment of 11 Syrian refugee children from neighbouring countries by Liwa’ al-Tawhid, and the YPG continued to recruit boys and girls as young as 14 years of age for combat roles. Recruitment and use by pro-government groups was also verified, with five cases of boys being recruited by the Popular Committee of Tallkalah (Homs) to work as guards and conduct patrols. In addition, there were allegations of the use of children by government forces to man checkpoints.

The Committee must once again deeply deplore the use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, especially as it entails other violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, murders and sexual violence. It once again recalls that, under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict is considered to be one of the worst forms of child labour and that, under Article 1 of the Convention, member States must take immediate and effective measures to secure the elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. While acknowledging the complexity of the situation prevailing on the ground and the presence of armed groups and armed conflict in the country, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take measures, using all available means, to ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to put a stop, in practice, to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces and groups. The Committee once again urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict are carried out, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice, pursuant to Law No. 11 of 2013. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought and convictions handed down against such persons.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee previously noted that, with approximately 5,000 schools destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic, the resulting sharp decline in children’s education continued to be a matter of great concern among the population. This report also indicated that more than half of Syrian school-age children, up to 2.4 million, were out of school as a consequence of the occupation, destruction and insecurity of schools.

The Committee notes that, according to the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (paragraph 157), the number of schools destroyed, partially damaged, used as shelters for internally displaced persons or rendered otherwise inaccessible has reached 6,500. The report refers to information from the Ministry of Education, according to which 571 students and 419 teachers had been killed in 2015, and from the United Nations that 69 attacks on educational facilities and personnel were verified and attributed to all fronts, which killed and maimed 174 children. The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraphs 50–53), a further 400,000 children were at risk of dropping out of school as a direct result of conflict, violence and displacement. While basic education facilities were in place in the displacement centres visited by the Special Rapporteur, such centres, often using school buildings, offer only limited educational facilities.

According to the same report, UNICEF is working with local partners to reach some 3 million children and has implemented an informal education programme to reduce the number of children out of school. The inter-agency initiative “No Lost Generation” is a self-learning programme aimed at reaching 500,000 children who missed out on years of schooling. In areas hosting high numbers of displaced children, UNICEF is also rehabilitating 600 damaged schools and creating 300 prefabricated classrooms to accommodate 300,000 additional children. The Committee further notes that, according to UNICEF’s 2016 Annual Report on the Syrian Arab Republic, UNICEF’s interventions in education, focusing on quality, access and institutional strengthening, contributed to an increase in school enrolment from 3.24 million children (60 per cent of school-age population) to 3.66 million (68 per cent) between 2014–15 and 2015–16. These efforts also resulted in a decrease in the number of out-of-school children from 2.12 million (40 per cent) in 2014–15 to 1.75 million (32 per cent) in 2015–16.

Nevertheless, the Committee notes that, in his report, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons declares that the challenge of providing even basic education access to many internally displaced children is immense and many thousands of children are likely to remain out of education in the foreseeable future (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 53). The Committee is, therefore, once again bound to express its deep concern at the large number of children who are deprived of education because of the climate of insecurity prevailing in the country. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts and take effective and time-bound measures to improve the functioning of the educational system in the country and to facilitate access to free basic education for all Syrian children, especially in areas affected by armed conflict, and giving particular attention to the situation of girls. It requests the Government to provide information on concrete measures taken in this regard.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. 1. Children affected by armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic had become common and that a great majority of the children recruited are trained, armed and used in combat.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the competent authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic seek to care for children recruited in armed conflict and to help them return to ordinary life. However, the Committee notes with deep concern that the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic has not changed and that not only are there no reports of children having been withdrawn from armed forces and groups in the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict but that, according to this report, children continue to be recruited and used in armed conflict. The Committee, therefore, strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to prevent the engagement of children in armed conflict and to rehabilitate and integrate former child combatants. It once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of children rehabilitated and socially integrated.

2. Sexual slavery. The Committee previously noted that ISIS abducted hundreds of Yazidi women and girls, most of whom were sold as “war booty” or given as “concubines” to ISIS fighters, and that dozens of girls and women were transported to various locations in the Syrian Arab Republic, including Al Raqqah, Al Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr, where they were kept in sexual slavery.

The Committee notes with regret the absence of information in the Government’s report on this issue. It notes that, according to the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 15 June 2016 entitled “They came to destroy: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis” (A/HRC/32/CRP.2), ISIS has sought to destroy the Yazidis through such egregious human rights violations as killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and mental harm. The report indicates that over 3,200 women and children are still held by ISIS. Most are in the Syrian Arab Republic where Yazidi girls continue to be sexually enslaved and Yazidi boys indoctrinated, trained and used in hostilities. The report reveals that captured Yazidi women and girls over the age of 9 years are deemed the property of ISIS and are sold in slave markets or, more recently through online auctions, to ISIS fighters. While held by ISIS fighters, these Yazidi women and girls are subjected to brutal sexual violence and regularly forced to work in their houses, in many instances forced to work as domestic servants of the fighter and his family. The Committee deeply deplores the fact that Yazidi children continue to be victims of sexual slavery and forced labour. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove Yazidi children under 18 years of age who are victims of forced labour and sexual exploitation and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It once again requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken in this regard, and the number of children removed from sexual exploitation and rehabilitated.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Internally displaced children. The Committee previously noted that, by early 2013, there were 3 million children displaced and in need of assistance inside the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 67), the extent of the conflict and displacement has had a massive impact on children, many of whom have experienced violence first-hand and/or witnessed extreme violence, including the killing of family members and/or separation from family members. The Special Rapporteur indicates that child protection concerns and issues, including child labour resulting from parents’ loss of livelihood, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence and early and forced marriage, continue to be reported. Children have also been recruited and used by different parties to the conflict, both in combat and support roles. Observing with concern that internally displaced children are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the results achieved.

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

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments.

Repetition

Articles 3(a) and 5 of the Convention. Sale and trafficking of children and monitoring mechanisms. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s information that the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons established pursuant to Law No. 3 of 2010 had carried out several inspection campaigns to monitor trafficking in persons, in particular trafficking in children. According to the statistical data provided by the Government, only 21 cases relating to trafficking in children were reported from 2010 to 2014. The Committee noted, however, that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern that trafficking in women and girls has increased during the conflict and that they are at high risk of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 33).

The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not provide information on this issue in its report. It notes that, according to the 2016 report of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development entitled “Targeting Vulnerabilities; The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons: A Study of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq”, while official statistics on trafficking cases identified by the authorities would suggest a minor or negligible impact of the Syrian war on trafficking in all five countries, the desk and field research conducted in the context of the study paints an entirely different picture. According to the report, while the potential trafficking cases identified through research, other than the official statistical data, have not been determined by law enforcement or state social services to be actual trafficking cases, indicators and elements of adult and child trafficking crimes have been analysed in order to shed light on the significant proportion of trafficking cases that have never come to the attention of the responsible authorities. The study reveals that worst forms of child labour, child trafficking for labour exploitation, exploitation through begging and trafficking for sexual exploitation affected children in the five countries before the war, but have now particularly increased among Syrians. The incidence of trafficking in persons and the nature and magnitude of vulnerabilities to trafficking (such as impoverishment, lack of income, lack of access to services and more) are particularly related to the sheer magnitude of the displacement of people (6.6 million people are reported to be internally displaced with the Syrian Arab Republic) and partly to the legal, policy, infrastructural, security and socio-economic contexts of the countries under study, including the Syrian Arab Republic. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to prevent the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual and labour exploitation, and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated information on the number of cases concerning the sale of children and child trafficking that have been reported by the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons, as well as on the investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions applied relating to this worst form of child labour.

Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments.

Repetition

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices. Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the Syrian Arab Republic had adopted a series of legislative reforms such as Law No. 11/2013 which criminalizes all forms of recruitment and the use of children under the age of 18 years by armed forces and armed groups. It noted, however, that numerous armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic, including the Free Syrian Army affiliated groups (FSA), the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG), Ahrar al-Sham, Islamic State in Iraq and Sham/the Levant (ISIS/ISIL) and other armed groups were reportedly recruiting and using children for logistics, handling ammunition, manning checkpoints and as combatants.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that armed terrorist groups recruit children and involve them in violence and exploit them sexually. The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic of 9 June 2016 (A/70/919, paragraphs 50–52), from early 2015, UNICEF verified 46 cases of recruitment (43 boys, one girl, two unknown): 21 were attributed to ISIL, 16 to non-state armed opposition groups, five to armed groups affiliated with the Government, two (including a girl) to YPG, and two to government forces. UNICEF reported that children were increasingly recruited at younger ages (some as young as 7 years old) by non-state armed groups. Children’s participation in combat was widespread and some armed opposition groups forced children to carry out grave human rights abuses, including executions and torture, while government forces allegedly submitted children to forced labour or used them as human shields. The Secretary-General also refers to reports from the OHCHR, according to which ISIL publicly announced, on 11 December 2015, the already known existence of a children’s section among its ranks, the “Cubs of the Caliphate”. The OHCHR also received allegations that ISIL was encouraging children between 10 and 14 years of age to join, and that they were training children in military combat.

The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict of 20 April 2016 (2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, A/70/836-S/2016/360, paragraphs 148–163), a total of 362 cases of recruitment and use of children were verified (the Secretary-General indicates that the figures do not reflect the full scale of grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict), and attributed to ISIL (274), the Free Syrian Army and affiliated groups (62), Liwa’ al Tawhid (11), popular committees (five), YPG (four), Ahrar al-Sham (three), the Nusrah Front (two) and the Army of Islam (one). Of the verified cases, 56 per cent involved children under 15 years of age, which represents a significant increase compared with 2014. The Secretary-General further indicates that the massive recruitment of children by ISIL continued, and that centres in rural Aleppo, Dayr al-Zawr and rural Raqqah existed that provided military training to at least 124 boys between 10 and 15 years of age. Verification of the use of child foreign fighters increased as well, with 18 cases of children as young as 7 years of age. In addition, the recruitment and use of children as young as 9 years of age by the Free Syrian Army was also verified, as well as the recruitment of 11 Syrian refugee children from neighbouring countries by Liwa’ al-Tawhid, and the YPG continued to recruit boys and girls as young as 14 years of age for combat roles. Recruitment and use by pro-government groups was also verified, with five cases of boys being recruited by the Popular Committee of Tallkalah (Homs) to work as guards and conduct patrols. In addition, there were allegations of the use of children by government forces to man checkpoints.

The Committee must once again deeply deplore the use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, especially as it entails other violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, murders and sexual violence. It once again recalls that, under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict is considered to be one of the worst forms of child labour and that, under Article 1 of the Convention, member States must take immediate and effective measures to secure the elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. While acknowledging the complexity of the situation prevailing on the ground and the presence of armed groups and armed conflict in the country, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take measures, using all available means, to ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to put a stop, in practice, to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces and groups. The Committee once again urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict are carried out, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice, pursuant to Law No. 11 of 2013. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought and convictions handed down against such persons.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee previously noted that, with approximately 5,000 schools destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic, the resulting sharp decline in children’s education continued to be a matter of great concern among the population. This report also indicated that more than half of Syrian school-age children, up to 2.4 million, were out of school as a consequence of the occupation, destruction and insecurity of schools.

The Committee notes that, according to the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (paragraph 157), the number of schools destroyed, partially damaged, used as shelters for internally displaced persons or rendered otherwise inaccessible has reached 6,500. The report refers to information from the Ministry of Education, according to which 571 students and 419 teachers had been killed in 2015, and from the United Nations that 69 attacks on educational facilities and personnel were verified and attributed to all fronts, which killed and maimed 174 children. The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraphs 50–53), a further 400,000 children were at risk of dropping out of school as a direct result of conflict, violence and displacement. While basic education facilities were in place in the displacement centres visited by the Special Rapporteur, such centres, often using school buildings, offer only limited educational facilities.

According to the same report, UNICEF is working with local partners to reach some 3 million children and has implemented an informal education programme to reduce the number of children out of school. The inter-agency initiative “No Lost Generation” is a self-learning programme aimed at reaching 500,000 children who missed out on years of schooling. In areas hosting high numbers of displaced children, UNICEF is also rehabilitating 600 damaged schools and creating 300 prefabricated classrooms to accommodate 300,000 additional children. The Committee further notes that, according to UNICEF’s 2016 Annual Report on the Syrian Arab Republic, UNICEF’s interventions in education, focusing on quality, access and institutional strengthening, contributed to an increase in school enrolment from 3.24 million children (60 per cent of school-age population) to 3.66 million (68 per cent) between 2014–15 and 2015–16. These efforts also resulted in a decrease in the number of out-of-school children from 2.12 million (40 per cent) in 2014–15 to 1.75 million (32 per cent) in 2015–16.

Nevertheless, the Committee notes that, in his report, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons declares that the challenge of providing even basic education access to many internally displaced children is immense and many thousands of children are likely to remain out of education in the foreseeable future (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 53). The Committee is, therefore, once again bound to express its deep concern at the large number of children who are deprived of education because of the climate of insecurity prevailing in the country. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts and take effective and time-bound measures to improve the functioning of the educational system in the country and to facilitate access to free basic education for all Syrian children, especially in areas affected by armed conflict, and giving particular attention to the situation of girls. It requests the Government to provide information on concrete measures taken in this regard.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. 1. Children affected by armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic had become common and that a great majority of the children recruited are trained, armed and used in combat.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the competent authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic seek to care for children recruited in armed conflict and to help them return to ordinary life. However, the Committee notes with deep concern that the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic has not changed and that not only are there no reports of children having been withdrawn from armed forces and groups in the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict but that, according to this report, children continue to be recruited and used in armed conflict. The Committee, therefore, strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to prevent the engagement of children in armed conflict and to rehabilitate and integrate former child combatants. It once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of children rehabilitated and socially integrated.

2. Sexual slavery. The Committee previously noted that ISIS abducted hundreds of Yazidi women and girls, most of whom were sold as “war booty” or given as “concubines” to ISIS fighters, and that dozens of girls and women were transported to various locations in the Syrian Arab Republic, including Al Raqqah, Al Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr, where they were kept in sexual slavery.

The Committee notes with regret the absence of information in the Government’s report on this issue. It notes that, according to the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 15 June 2016 entitled “They came to destroy: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis” (A/HRC/32/CRP.2), ISIS has sought to destroy the Yazidis through such egregious human rights violations as killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and mental harm. The report indicates that over 3,200 women and children are still held by ISIS. Most are in the Syrian Arab Republic where Yazidi girls continue to be sexually enslaved and Yazidi boys indoctrinated, trained and used in hostilities. The report reveals that captured Yazidi women and girls over the age of 9 years are deemed the property of ISIS and are sold in slave markets or, more recently through online auctions, to ISIS fighters. While held by ISIS fighters, these Yazidi women and girls are subjected to brutal sexual violence and regularly forced to work in their houses, in many instances forced to work as domestic servants of the fighter and his family. The Committee deeply deplores the fact that Yazidi children continue to be victims of sexual slavery and forced labour. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove Yazidi children under 18 years of age who are victims of forced labour and sexual exploitation and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It once again requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken in this regard, and the number of children removed from sexual exploitation and rehabilitated.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Internally displaced children. The Committee previously noted that, by early 2013, there were 3 million children displaced and in need of assistance inside the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 67), the extent of the conflict and displacement has had a massive impact on children, many of whom have experienced violence first-hand and/or witnessed extreme violence, including the killing of family members and/or separation from family members. The Special Rapporteur indicates that child protection concerns and issues, including child labour resulting from parents’ loss of livelihood, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence and early and forced marriage, continue to be reported. Children have also been recruited and used by different parties to the conflict, both in combat and support roles. Observing with concern that internally displaced children are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the results achieved.

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

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report contains no reply to its previous comments. It hopes that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments.

Repetition

Articles 3(a) and 5 of the Convention. Sale and trafficking of children and monitoring mechanisms. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s information that the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons established pursuant to Law No. 3 of 2010 had carried out several inspection campaigns to monitor trafficking in persons, in particular trafficking in children. According to the statistical data provided by the Government, only 21 cases relating to trafficking in children were reported from 2010 to 2014. The Committee noted, however, that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern that trafficking in women and girls has increased during the conflict and that they are at high risk of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 33).

The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not provide information on this issue in its report. It notes that, according to the 2016 report of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development entitled “Targeting Vulnerabilities; The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons: A Study of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq”, while official statistics on trafficking cases identified by the authorities would suggest a minor or negligible impact of the Syrian war on trafficking in all five countries, the desk and field research conducted in the context of the study paints an entirely different picture. According to the report, while the potential trafficking cases identified through research, other than the official statistical data, have not been determined by law enforcement or state social services to be actual trafficking cases, indicators and elements of adult and child trafficking crimes have been analysed in order to shed light on the significant proportion of trafficking cases that have never come to the attention of the responsible authorities. The study reveals that worst forms of child labour, child trafficking for labour exploitation, exploitation through begging and trafficking for sexual exploitation affected children in the five countries before the war, but have now particularly increased among Syrians. The incidence of trafficking in persons and the nature and magnitude of vulnerabilities to trafficking (such as impoverishment, lack of income, lack of access to services and more) are particularly related to the sheer magnitude of the displacement of people (6.6 million people are reported to be internally displaced with the Syrian Arab Republic) and partly to the legal, policy, infrastructural, security and socio-economic contexts of the countries under study, including the Syrian Arab Republic. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to prevent the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual and labour exploitation, and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated information on the number of cases concerning the sale of children and child trafficking that have been reported by the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons, as well as on the investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions applied relating to this worst form of child labour.

Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report contains no reply to its previous comments. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments.

Repetition

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices. Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the Syrian Arab Republic had adopted a series of legislative reforms such as Law No. 11/2013 which criminalizes all forms of recruitment and the use of children under the age of 18 years by armed forces and armed groups. It noted, however, that numerous armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic, including the Free Syrian Army affiliated groups (FSA), the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG), Ahrar al-Sham, Islamic State in Iraq and Sham/the Levant (ISIS/ISIL) and other armed groups were reportedly recruiting and using children for logistics, handling ammunition, manning checkpoints and as combatants.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that armed terrorist groups recruit children and involve them in violence and exploit them sexually. The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic of 9 June 2016 (A/70/919, paragraphs 50–52), from early 2015, UNICEF verified 46 cases of recruitment (43 boys, one girl, two unknown): 21 were attributed to ISIL, 16 to non-state armed opposition groups, five to armed groups affiliated with the Government, two (including a girl) to YPG, and two to government forces. UNICEF reported that children were increasingly recruited at younger ages (some as young as 7 years old) by non-state armed groups. Children’s participation in combat was widespread and some armed opposition groups forced children to carry out grave human rights abuses, including executions and torture, while government forces allegedly submitted children to forced labour or used them as human shields. The Secretary-General also refers to reports from the OHCHR, according to which ISIL publicly announced, on 11 December 2015, the already known existence of a children’s section among its ranks, the “Cubs of the Caliphate”. The OHCHR also received allegations that ISIL was encouraging children between 10 and 14 years of age to join, and that they were training children in military combat.

The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict of 20 April 2016 (2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, A/70/836-S/2016/360, paragraphs 148–163), a total of 362 cases of recruitment and use of children were verified (the Secretary-General indicates that the figures do not reflect the full scale of grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict), and attributed to ISIL (274), the Free Syrian Army and affiliated groups (62), Liwa’ al Tawhid (11), popular committees (five), YPG (four), Ahrar al-Sham (three), the Nusrah Front (two) and the Army of Islam (one). Of the verified cases, 56 per cent involved children under 15 years of age, which represents a significant increase compared with 2014. The Secretary-General further indicates that the massive recruitment of children by ISIL continued, and that centres in rural Aleppo, Dayr al-Zawr and rural Raqqah existed that provided military training to at least 124 boys between 10 and 15 years of age. Verification of the use of child foreign fighters increased as well, with 18 cases of children as young as 7 years of age. In addition, the recruitment and use of children as young as 9 years of age by the Free Syrian Army was also verified, as well as the recruitment of 11 Syrian refugee children from neighbouring countries by Liwa’ al-Tawhid, and the YPG continued to recruit boys and girls as young as 14 years of age for combat roles. Recruitment and use by pro-government groups was also verified, with five cases of boys being recruited by the Popular Committee of Tallkalah (Homs) to work as guards and conduct patrols. In addition, there were allegations of the use of children by government forces to man checkpoints.

The Committee must once again deeply deplore the use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, especially as it entails other violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, murders and sexual violence. It once again recalls that, under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict is considered to be one of the worst forms of child labour and that, under Article 1 of the Convention, member States must take immediate and effective measures to secure the elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. While acknowledging the complexity of the situation prevailing on the ground and the presence of armed groups and armed conflict in the country, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take measures, using all available means, to ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to put a stop, in practice, to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces and groups. The Committee once again urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict are carried out, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice, pursuant to Law No. 11 of 2013. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought and convictions handed down against such persons.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee previously noted that, with approximately 5,000 schools destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic, the resulting sharp decline in children’s education continued to be a matter of great concern among the population. This report also indicated that more than half of Syrian school-age children, up to 2.4 million, were out of school as a consequence of the occupation, destruction and insecurity of schools.

The Committee notes that, according to the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (paragraph 157), the number of schools destroyed, partially damaged, used as shelters for internally displaced persons or rendered otherwise inaccessible has reached 6,500. The report refers to information from the Ministry of Education, according to which 571 students and 419 teachers had been killed in 2015, and from the United Nations that 69 attacks on educational facilities and personnel were verified and attributed to all fronts, which killed and maimed 174 children. The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraphs 50–53), a further 400,000 children were at risk of dropping out of school as a direct result of conflict, violence and displacement. While basic education facilities were in place in the displacement centres visited by the Special Rapporteur, such centres, often using school buildings, offer only limited educational facilities.

According to the same report, UNICEF is working with local partners to reach some 3 million children and has implemented an informal education programme to reduce the number of children out of school. The inter-agency initiative “No Lost Generation” is a self-learning programme aimed at reaching 500,000 children who missed out on years of schooling. In areas hosting high numbers of displaced children, UNICEF is also rehabilitating 600 damaged schools and creating 300 prefabricated classrooms to accommodate 300,000 additional children. The Committee further notes that, according to UNICEF’s 2016 Annual Report on the Syrian Arab Republic, UNICEF’s interventions in education, focusing on quality, access and institutional strengthening, contributed to an increase in school enrolment from 3.24 million children (60 per cent of school-age population) to 3.66 million (68 per cent) between 2014–15 and 2015–16. These efforts also resulted in a decrease in the number of out-of-school children from 2.12 million (40 per cent) in 2014–15 to 1.75 million (32 per cent) in 2015–16.

Nevertheless, the Committee notes that, in his report, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons declares that the challenge of providing even basic education access to many internally displaced children is immense and many thousands of children are likely to remain out of education in the foreseeable future (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 53). The Committee is, therefore, once again bound to express its deep concern at the large number of children who are deprived of education because of the climate of insecurity prevailing in the country. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts and take effective and time-bound measures to improve the functioning of the educational system in the country and to facilitate access to free basic education for all Syrian children, especially in areas affected by armed conflict, and giving particular attention to the situation of girls. It requests the Government to provide information on concrete measures taken in this regard.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. 1. Children affected by armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic had become common and that a great majority of the children recruited are trained, armed and used in combat.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the competent authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic seek to care for children recruited in armed conflict and to help them return to ordinary life. However, the Committee notes with deep concern that the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic has not changed and that not only are there no reports of children having been withdrawn from armed forces and groups in the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict but that, according to this report, children continue to be recruited and used in armed conflict. The Committee, therefore, strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to prevent the engagement of children in armed conflict and to rehabilitate and integrate former child combatants. It once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of children rehabilitated and socially integrated.

2. Sexual slavery. The Committee previously noted that ISIS abducted hundreds of Yazidi women and girls, most of whom were sold as “war booty” or given as “concubines” to ISIS fighters, and that dozens of girls and women were transported to various locations in the Syrian Arab Republic, including Al Raqqah, Al Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr, where they were kept in sexual slavery.

The Committee notes with regret the absence of information in the Government’s report on this issue. It notes that, according to the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 15 June 2016 entitled “They came to destroy: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis” (A/HRC/32/CRP.2), ISIS has sought to destroy the Yazidis through such egregious human rights violations as killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and mental harm. The report indicates that over 3,200 women and children are still held by ISIS. Most are in the Syrian Arab Republic where Yazidi girls continue to be sexually enslaved and Yazidi boys indoctrinated, trained and used in hostilities. The report reveals that captured Yazidi women and girls over the age of 9 years are deemed the property of ISIS and are sold in slave markets or, more recently through online auctions, to ISIS fighters. While held by ISIS fighters, these Yazidi women and girls are subjected to brutal sexual violence and regularly forced to work in their houses, in many instances forced to work as domestic servants of the fighter and his family. The Committee deeply deplores the fact that Yazidi children continue to be victims of sexual slavery and forced labour. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove Yazidi children under 18 years of age who are victims of forced labour and sexual exploitation and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It once again requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken in this regard, and the number of children removed from sexual exploitation and rehabilitated.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Internally displaced children. The Committee previously noted that, by early 2013, there were 3 million children displaced and in need of assistance inside the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 67), the extent of the conflict and displacement has had a massive impact on children, many of whom have experienced violence first-hand and/or witnessed extreme violence, including the killing of family members and/or separation from family members. The Special Rapporteur indicates that child protection concerns and issues, including child labour resulting from parents’ loss of livelihood, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence and early and forced marriage, continue to be reported. Children have also been recruited and used by different parties to the conflict, both in combat and support roles. Observing with concern that internally displaced children are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the results achieved.

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

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2017, published 107th ILC session (2018)

Articles 3(a) and 5 of the Convention. Sale and trafficking of children and monitoring mechanisms. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s information that the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons established pursuant to Law No. 3 of 2010 had carried out several inspection campaigns to monitor trafficking in persons, in particular trafficking in children. According to the statistical data provided by the Government, only 21 cases relating to trafficking in children were reported from 2010 to 2014. The Committee noted, however, that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern that trafficking in women and girls has increased during the conflict and that they are at high risk of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 33).

The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not provide information on this issue in its report. It notes that, according to the 2016 report of the International Centre for Migration Policy Development entitled “Targeting Vulnerabilities; The Impact of the Syrian War and Refugee Situation on Trafficking in Persons: A Study of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq”, while official statistics on trafficking cases identified by the authorities would suggest a minor or negligible impact of the Syrian war on trafficking in all five countries, the desk and field research conducted in the context of the study paints an entirely different picture. According to the report, while the potential trafficking cases identified through research, other than the official statistical data, have not been determined by law enforcement or state social services to be actual trafficking cases, indicators and elements of adult and child trafficking crimes have been analysed in order to shed light on the significant proportion of trafficking cases that have never come to the attention of the responsible authorities. The study reveals that worst forms of child labour, child trafficking for labour exploitation, exploitation through begging and trafficking for sexual exploitation affected children in the five countries before the war, but have now particularly increased among Syrians. The incidence of trafficking in persons and the nature and magnitude of vulnerabilities to trafficking (such as impoverishment, lack of income, lack of access to services and more) are particularly related to the sheer magnitude of the displacement of people (6.6 million people are reported to be internally displaced with the Syrian Arab Republic) and partly to the legal, policy, infrastructural, security and socio-economic contexts of the countries under study, including the Syrian Arab Republic. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to take the necessary measures to prevent the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual and labour exploitation, and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to provide updated information on the number of cases concerning the sale of children and child trafficking that have been reported by the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons, as well as on the investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions applied relating to this worst form of child labour.

Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2017, published 107th ILC session (2018)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices. Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the Syrian Arab Republic had adopted a series of legislative reforms such as Law No. 11/2013 which criminalizes all forms of recruitment and the use of children under the age of 18 years by armed forces and armed groups. It noted, however, that numerous armed groups in the Syrian Arab Republic, including the Free Syrian Army affiliated groups (FSA), the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG), Ahrar al-Sham, Islamic State in Iraq and Sham/the Levant (ISIS/ISIL) and other armed groups were reportedly recruiting and using children for logistics, handling ammunition, manning checkpoints and as combatants.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication in its report that armed terrorist groups recruit children and involve them in violence and exploit them sexually. The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic of 9 June 2016 (A/70/919, paragraphs 50–52), from early 2015, UNICEF verified 46 cases of recruitment (43 boys, one girl, two unknown): 21 were attributed to ISIL, 16 to non-state armed opposition groups, five to armed groups affiliated with the Government, two (including a girl) to YPG, and two to government forces. UNICEF reported that children were increasingly recruited at younger ages (some as young as 7 years old) by non-state armed groups. Children’s participation in combat was widespread and some armed opposition groups forced children to carry out grave human rights abuses, including executions and torture, while government forces allegedly submitted children to forced labour or used them as human shields. The Secretary-General also refers to reports from the OHCHR, according to which ISIL publicly announced, on 11 December 2015, the already known existence of a children’s section among its ranks, the “Cubs of the Caliphate”. The OHCHR also received allegations that ISIL was encouraging children between 10 and 14 years of age to join, and that they were training children in military combat.

The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict of 20 April 2016 (2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict, A/70/836-S/2016/360, paragraphs 148–163), a total of 362 cases of recruitment and use of children were verified (the Secretary-General indicates that the figures do not reflect the full scale of grave violations committed by all parties to the conflict), and attributed to ISIL (274), the Free Syrian Army and affiliated groups (62), Liwa’ al Tawhid (11), popular committees (five), YPG (four), Ahrar al-Sham (three), the Nusrah Front (two) and the Army of Islam (one). Of the verified cases, 56 per cent involved children under 15 years of age, which represents a significant increase compared with 2014. The Secretary-General further indicates that the massive recruitment of children by ISIL continued, and that centres in rural Aleppo, Dayr al-Zawr and rural Raqqah existed that provided military training to at least 124 boys between 10 and 15 years of age. Verification of the use of child foreign fighters increased as well, with 18 cases of children as young as 7 years of age. In addition, the recruitment and use of children as young as 9 years of age by the Free Syrian Army was also verified, as well as the recruitment of 11 Syrian refugee children from neighbouring countries by Liwa’ al-Tawhid, and the YPG continued to recruit boys and girls as young as 14 years of age for combat roles. Recruitment and use by pro-government groups was also verified, with five cases of boys being recruited by the Popular Committee of Tallkalah (Homs) to work as guards and conduct patrols. In addition, there were allegations of the use of children by government forces to man checkpoints.

The Committee must once again deeply deplore the use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, especially as it entails other violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, murders and sexual violence. It once again recalls that, under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict is considered to be one of the worst forms of child labour and that, under Article 1 of the Convention, member States must take immediate and effective measures to secure the elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. While acknowledging the complexity of the situation prevailing on the ground and the presence of armed groups and armed conflict in the country, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take measures, using all available means, to ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to put a stop, in practice, to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces and groups. The Committee once again urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict are carried out, and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice, pursuant to Law No. 11 of 2013. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought and convictions handed down against such persons.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee previously noted that, with approximately 5,000 schools destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic, the resulting sharp decline in children’s education continued to be a matter of great concern among the population. This report also indicated that more than half of Syrian school-age children, up to 2.4 million, were out of school as a consequence of the occupation, destruction and insecurity of schools.

The Committee notes that, according to the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict (paragraph 157), the number of schools destroyed, partially damaged, used as shelters for internally displaced persons or rendered otherwise inaccessible has reached 6,500. The report refers to information from the Ministry of Education, according to which 571 students and 419 teachers had been killed in 2015, and from the United Nations that 69 attacks on educational facilities and personnel were verified and attributed to all fronts, which killed and maimed 174 children. The Committee further notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraphs 50–53), a further 400,000 children were at risk of dropping out of school as a direct result of conflict, violence and displacement. While basic education facilities were in place in the displacement centres visited by the Special Rapporteur, such centres, often using school buildings, offer only limited educational facilities.

According to the same report, UNICEF is working with local partners to reach some 3 million children and has implemented an informal education programme to reduce the number of children out of school. The inter-agency initiative “No Lost Generation” is a self-learning programme aimed at reaching 500,000 children who missed out on years of schooling. In areas hosting high numbers of displaced children, UNICEF is also rehabilitating 600 damaged schools and creating 300 prefabricated classrooms to accommodate 300,000 additional children. The Committee further notes that, according to UNICEF’s 2016 Annual Report on the Syrian Arab Republic, UNICEF’s interventions in education, focusing on quality, access and institutional strengthening, contributed to an increase in school enrolment from 3.24 million children (60 per cent of school-age population) to 3.66 million (68 per cent) between 2014–15 and 2015–16. These efforts also resulted in a decrease in the number of out-of-school children from 2.12 million (40 per cent) in 2014–15 to 1.75 million (32 per cent) in 2015–16.

Nevertheless, the Committee notes that, in his report, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons declares that the challenge of providing even basic education access to many internally displaced children is immense and many thousands of children are likely to remain out of education in the foreseeable future (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 53). The Committee is, therefore, once again bound to express its deep concern at the large number of children who are deprived of education because of the climate of insecurity prevailing in the country. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts and take effective and time-bound measures to improve the functioning of the educational system in the country and to facilitate access to free basic education for all Syrian children, especially in areas affected by armed conflict, and giving particular attention to the situation of girls. It requests the Government to provide information on concrete measures taken in this regard.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. 1. Children affected by armed conflict. The Committee previously noted that the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic had become common and that a great majority of the children recruited are trained, armed and used in combat.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the competent authorities in the Syrian Arab Republic seek to care for children recruited in armed conflict and to help them return to ordinary life. However, the Committee notes with deep concern that the situation in the Syrian Arab Republic has not changed and that not only are there no reports of children having been withdrawn from armed forces and groups in the 2016 report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict but that, according to this report, children continue to be recruited and used in armed conflict. The Committee, therefore, strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to prevent the engagement of children in armed conflict and to rehabilitate and integrate former child combatants. It once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of children rehabilitated and socially integrated.

2. Sexual slavery. The Committee previously noted that ISIS abducted hundreds of Yazidi women and girls, most of whom were sold as “war booty” or given as “concubines” to ISIS fighters, and that dozens of girls and women were transported to various locations in the Syrian Arab Republic, including Al Raqqah, Al Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr, where they were kept in sexual slavery.

The Committee notes with regret the absence of information in the Government’s report on this issue. It notes that, according to the report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic of 15 June 2016 entitled “They came to destroy: ISIS Crimes Against the Yazidis” (A/HRC/32/CRP.2), ISIS has sought to destroy the Yazidis through such egregious human rights violations as killings, sexual slavery, enslavement, torture and mental harm. The report indicates that over 3,200 women and children are still held by ISIS. Most are in the Syrian Arab Republic where Yazidi girls continue to be sexually enslaved and Yazidi boys indoctrinated, trained and used in hostilities. The report reveals that captured Yazidi women and girls over the age of 9 years are deemed the property of ISIS and are sold in slave markets or, more recently through online auctions, to ISIS fighters. While held by ISIS fighters, these Yazidi women and girls are subjected to brutal sexual violence and regularly forced to work in their houses, in many instances forced to work as domestic servants of the fighter and his family. The Committee deeply deplores the fact that Yazidi children continue to be victims of sexual slavery and forced labour. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove Yazidi children under 18 years of age who are victims of forced labour and sexual exploitation and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It once again requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken in this regard, and the number of children removed from sexual exploitation and rehabilitated.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Internally displaced children. The Committee previously noted that, by early 2013, there were 3 million children displaced and in need of assistance inside the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Committee notes that, according to the report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons on his mission to the Syrian Arab Republic of 5 April 2016 (A/HRC/32/35/Add.2, paragraph 67), the extent of the conflict and displacement has had a massive impact on children, many of whom have experienced violence first-hand and/or witnessed extreme violence, including the killing of family members and/or separation from family members. The Special Rapporteur indicates that child protection concerns and issues, including child labour resulting from parents’ loss of livelihood, trafficking, sexual and gender-based violence and early and forced marriage, continue to be reported. Children have also been recruited and used by different parties to the conflict, both in combat and support roles. Observing with concern that internally displaced children are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee once again strongly urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the results achieved.

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

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that the next report will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous comments.

Repetition

Article 5. Monitoring mechanisms. Sale and trafficking of children. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information that the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons established pursuant to Law No. 3 of 2010 has carried out several inspection campaigns to monitor trafficking in persons, in particular trafficking in children. According to the statistical data provided by the Government, a total of 21 cases relating to trafficking in children were reported from 2010 to 2014. The Committee notes, however, that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern that trafficking in women and girls has increased during the conflict and that they are at high risk of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 33). While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to prevent the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual exploitation and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to continue providing information on the number of cases concerning the sale of children and child trafficking that have been reported by the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons, as well as on the investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions applied relating to this worst form of child labour.

Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2016, published 106th ILC session (2017)

The Committee notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments.

Repetition

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices. Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee notes from the Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict to the United Nations (UN) Security Council, January 2014 (Report of the Secretary-General, January 2014) that the Syrian Arab Republic adopted a series of legislative reforms such as Law No. 11/2013 which criminalizes all forms of recruitment and the use of children under the age of 18 years by armed forces and armed groups, including taking part in direct combat, carrying and transporting weapons or equipment or ammunition, planting explosives, standing at checkpoints or carrying out surveillance or reconnaissance, acting as human shields or assisting and/or serving the perpetrators in any way or form.

However, the Committee notes the information contained in the Report of the Secretary-General to the UN Security Council on children and armed conflict, May 2014 (A/68/878-S/2014/339) (Report of the Secretary-General, May 2014) that numerous armed groups in Syria, including the Free Syrian Army affiliated groups (FSA), the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG), Ahrar al-Sham, Islamic State in Iraq and Sham (ISIS) and other armed groups are reportedly recruiting and using children for logistics, handling ammunition, manning checkpoints and as combatants. Most children with FSA affiliated groups, some as young as 14 years of age indicated that they had received weapon trainings and were paid 4,000–8,000 Syrian pounds (SYP) per month. The Committee also notes from the Report of the Secretary-General, January 2014, that there have been reports of the use of children, both girls and boys between the ages of 10 and 12, as human shields by the Government forces. This report further indicates that more than 10,000 children are estimated to have been killed since the outset of the conflict in 2011.

The Committee further notes from the report submitted by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic to the UN Human Rights Council, February 2015 (Report of the Commission of Inquiry, 2015), that ISIS has instrumentalized and abused children on a scale not seen before in the Syrian conflict. It has established “cubs camps” across areas under its control, where children are taught how to use weapons and trained to be deployed as suicide bombers. According to this report, ISIS is also reported to have abducted children, including girls, and detained and subjected them to harsh punishments. While many of them were executed for being members of other armed groups, some of them as young as 10 years old were used as executioners. Moreover, the YPG is also reported to have abducted children and accepted children, including girls, into their ranks for roles that involve direct participation in hostilities. The Committee deeply deplores the current situation of children affected by armed conflict in Syria, especially as it entails other violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, murders and sexual violence. It recalls that, under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict is considered to be one of the worst forms of child labour and that, under Article 1 of the Convention, member States must take immediate and effective measures to secure the elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. The Committee therefore strongly urges the Government to take measures as a matter of urgency to ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to put a stop, in practice, to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces and groups. With reference to Security Council Resolution 2068 of 19 September 2012, which recalls “the responsibilities of States to end impunity and to prosecute those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and other egregious crimes perpetrated against children”, the Committee urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons, who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict, are carried out and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice, pursuant to Law No. 11 of 2013. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought and convictions handed down against such persons.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee notes from the Report of the Commission of Inquiry, 2015, that with approximately 5,000 schools destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic the resulting sharp decline in children’s education continues to be a matter of great concern among the population. This report also indicates that more than half of Syrian school-aged children, up to 2.4 million, are out of school as a consequence of the occupation, destruction and insecurity of schools. The Committee further notes that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern at the increase in the already high rate of girls dropping out of school as well as the challenges faced by children, especially girls in besieged areas or in areas out of the control of the State party in accessing programmes aimed at the continuation of education (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 39). The Committee is, therefore, bound to express its deep concern at the large number of children who are deprived of education because of the climate of insecurity prevailing in the country. While acknowledging the complexity of the situation prevailing on the ground and the presence of armed groups and armed conflict in the country, the Committee urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to improve the functioning of the educational system in the country and to facilitate access to free basic education for all Syrian children, especially in areas affected by armed conflict and giving particular attention to the situation of girls. It requests the Government to provide information on concrete measures taken in this regard.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. 1. Child soldiers. The Committee notes the information contained in the Report of the Secretary-General, January 2014, that the United Nations is currently supporting the Ministry of Social Affairs to develop a strategy to prevent and end the association of children with armed forces and groups. Moreover, according to the Report of the Secretary-General, May 2014, the Government established an inter-ministerial committee on children and armed conflict in September 2013. The Committee further notes from this report that the General Command of the YPG issued a command order in October 2013 condemning and prohibiting the recruitment of children. The Committee notes, however, from a Report from the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, 13 March 2015, that the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in Syria has become common and that a great majority of the children recruited are trained, armed and used in combat. The Committee, therefore, urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove children from armed forces and groups and ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It also requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of child soldiers removed from armed forces and groups and reintegrated.

2. Sexual slavery. The Committee notes from the Report of the Commission of Inquiry, 2015, that, during August 2014, ISIS abducted hundreds of Yazidi women and girls, most of whom were sold as “war booty” or given as “concubines” to ISIS fighters. This report also indicates that dozens of girls and women were transported to various locations in Syria, including Al Raqqah, Al Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr, where they were kept in sexual slavery. The Committee urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove children under 18 years of age who are victims of forced labour for sexual exploitation and ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken in this regard, and the number of children removed from sexual exploitation and rehabilitated.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Internally displaced children and refugees. The Committee notes from the Report the of Secretary-General, January 2014, that, by early 2013, there were 3 million children displaced and in need of assistance inside the Syrian Arab Republic and over 1.1 million Syrian child refugees living in neighbouring countries. This report further indicates that the recruitment of children by armed groups from refugee populations in neighbouring countries is a matter of particular concern. The Committee also notes from the Report of the Commission of Inquiry, 2015, that children separated from their communities, and often from their families and parents, are at risk of being targeted and instrumentalized in the armed conflict. Observing with concern that internally displaced children and refugees are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the results achieved.

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

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. Sale and trafficking of children. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes that section 4 of Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 defines trafficking in persons as transporting, kidnapping, sheltering, deporting or hosting persons in order to be employed or used for illicit activities, including the use of a child for prostitution and production of pornography (section 5) in return for material or moral compensation. It also notes that, according to section 7 of Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010, penalties for the offences related to trafficking in persons comprises imprisonment for a minimum of seven years and fines of 1–3 million Syrian pounds (SYP) (US$1 is approximately equal to SYP189) and confiscation of property, while section 8 provides for harsher penalties if the victim is a child (defined under section 1(3) of Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 as a person under the age of 18 years).

Article 5. Monitoring mechanisms. Sale and trafficking of children. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information that the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons established pursuant to Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 has carried out several inspection campaigns to monitor trafficking in persons, in particular trafficking in children. According to the statistical data provided by the Government, a total of 21 cases relating to trafficking in children were reported from 2010 to 2014. The Committee notes, however, that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern that trafficking in women and girls has increased during the conflict and that they are at high risk of trafficking for purposes of sexual exploitation (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 33). While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to prevent the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for sexual exploitation and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to continue providing information on the number of cases concerning the sale of children and child trafficking that have been reported by the Department of Combating Trafficking in Persons, as well as on the investigations, prosecutions, convictions and sanctions applied relating to this worst form of child labour.

Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices. Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee notes from the Report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict to the United Nations (UN) Security Council, January 2014 (Report of the Secretary-General, January 2014) that the Syrian Arab Republic adopted a series of legislative reforms such as Law No. 11/2013 which criminalizes all forms of recruitment and the use of children under the age of 18 years by armed forces and armed groups, including taking part in direct combat, carrying and transporting weapons or equipment or ammunition, planting explosives, standing at checkpoints or carrying out surveillance or reconnaissance, acting as human shields or assisting and/or serving the perpetrators in any way or form.

However, the Committee notes the information contained in the Report of the Secretary-General to the UN Security Council on children and armed conflict, May 2014 (A/68/878-S/2014/339) (Report of the Secretary-General, May 2014) that numerous armed groups in Syria, including the Free Syrian Army affiliated groups (FSA), the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG), Ahrar al-Sham, Islamic State in Iraq and Sham (ISIS) and other armed groups are reportedly recruiting and using children for logistics, handling ammunition, manning checkpoints and as combatants. Most children with FSA affiliated groups, some as young as 14 years of age indicated that they had received weapon trainings and were paid 4,000–8,000 Syrian pounds (SYP) per month. The Committee also notes from the Report of the Secretary-General, January 2014, that there have been reports of the use of children, both girls and boys between the ages of 10 and 12, as human shields by the Government forces. This report further indicates that more than 10,000 children are estimated to have been killed since the outset of the conflict in 2011.

The Committee further notes from the report submitted by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic to the UN Human Rights Council, February 2015 (Report of the Commission of Inquiry, 2015), that ISIS has instrumentalized and abused children on a scale not seen before in the Syrian conflict. It has established “cubs camps” across areas under its control, where children are taught how to use weapons and trained to be deployed as suicide bombers. According to this report, ISIS is also reported to have abducted children, including girls, and detained and subjected them to harsh punishments. While many of them were executed for being members of other armed groups, some of them as young as 10 years old were used as executioners. Moreover, the YPG is also reported to have abducted children and accepted children, including girls, into their ranks for roles that involve direct participation in hostilities. The Committee deeply deplores the current situation of children affected by armed conflict in Syria, especially as it entails other violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, murders and sexual violence. It recalls that, under Article 3(a) of the Convention, the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict is considered to be one of the worst forms of child labour and that, under Article 1 of the Convention, member States must take immediate and effective measures to secure the elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter of urgency. The Committee therefore strongly urges the Government to take measures as a matter of urgency to ensure the full and immediate demobilization of all children and to put a stop, in practice, to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age into armed forces and groups. With reference to Security Council Resolution 2068 of 19 September 2012, which recalls “the responsibilities of States to end impunity and to prosecute those responsible for genocide, crimes against humanity and other egregious crimes perpetrated against children”, the Committee urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure that thorough investigations and robust prosecutions of all persons, who forcibly recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict, are carried out and that sufficiently effective and dissuasive penalties are imposed in practice, pursuant to Law No. 11 of 2013. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought and convictions handed down against such persons.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee notes from the Report of the Commission of Inquiry, 2015, that with approximately 5,000 schools destroyed in the Syrian Arab Republic the resulting sharp decline in children’s education continues to be a matter of great concern among the population. This report also indicates that more than half of Syrian school-aged children, up to 2.4 million, are out of school as a consequence of the occupation, destruction and insecurity of schools. The Committee further notes that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), in its concluding observations of July 2014, expressed concern at the increase in the already high rate of girls dropping out of school as well as the challenges faced by children, especially girls in besieged areas or in areas out of the control of the State party in accessing programmes aimed at the continuation of education (CEDAW/C/SYR/CO/2, paragraph 39). The Committee is, therefore, bound to express its deep concern at the large number of children who are deprived of education because of the climate of insecurity prevailing in the country. While acknowledging the complexity of the situation prevailing on the ground and the presence of armed groups and armed conflict in the country, the Committee urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to improve the functioning of the educational system in the country and to facilitate access to free basic education for all Syrian children, especially in areas affected by armed conflict and giving particular attention to the situation of girls. It requests the Government to provide information on concrete measures taken in this regard.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour, removing them from such work and ensuring their rehabilitation and social integration. 1. Child soldiers. The Committee notes the information contained in the Report of the Secretary-General, January 2014, that the United Nations is currently supporting the Ministry of Social Affairs to develop a strategy to prevent and end the association of children with armed forces and groups. Moreover, according to the Report of the Secretary-General, May 2014, the Government established an inter-ministerial committee on children and armed conflict in September 2013. The Committee further notes from this report that the General Command of the YPG issued a command order in October 2013 condemning and prohibiting the recruitment of children. The Committee notes, however, from a Report from the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, 13 March 2015, that the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in Syria has become common and that a great majority of the children recruited are trained, armed and used in combat. The Committee, therefore, urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove children from armed forces and groups and ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It also requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the number of child soldiers removed from armed forces and groups and reintegrated.

2. Sexual slavery. The Committee notes from the Report of the Commission of Inquiry, 2015, that, during August 2014, ISIS abducted hundreds of Yazidi women and girls, most of whom were sold as “war booty” or given as “concubines” to ISIS fighters. This report also indicates that dozens of girls and women were transported to various locations in Syria, including Al Raqqah, Al Hasakah and Dayr az Zawr, where they were kept in sexual slavery. The Committee urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to remove children under 18 years of age who are victims of forced labour for sexual exploitation and ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken in this regard, and the number of children removed from sexual exploitation and rehabilitated.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Internally displaced children and refugees. The Committee notes from the Report the of Secretary-General, January 2014, that, by early 2013, there were 3 million children displaced and in need of assistance inside the Syrian Arab Republic and over 1.1 million Syrian child refugees living in neighbouring countries. This report further indicates that the recruitment of children by armed groups from refugee populations in neighbouring countries is a matter of particular concern. The Committee also notes from the Report of the Commission of Inquiry, 2015, that children separated from their communities, and often from their families and parents, are at risk of being targeted and instrumentalized in the armed conflict. Observing with concern that internally displaced children and refugees are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and on the results achieved.

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

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2013, published 103rd ILC session (2014)

The Committee notes the general human rights situation in the country as referred to in its comments under Convention No. 105. It also notes that the Government’s report has not been received. It hopes that a report will be supplied for examination by the Committee at its next session and that it will contain full information on the matters raised in its previous direct request, which read as follows:

Repetition

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. Sale and trafficking of children. The Committee previously noted the Government’s indication that it was preparing a comprehensive law to combat the crime of trafficking in persons and that a copy of this law would be sent to the Committee when promulgated. In this regard, the Committee expressed the hope that this law would prohibit the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years for the purposes of both sexual and labour exploitation.

The Committee noted the Government’s statement that Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010, which relates to human trafficking crimes, has been adopted. The Government stated that this law aims to prohibit and combat human trafficking and to pay special attention to women and children who are victims of this crime. The Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 with its next report.

Article 5. Monitoring mechanisms. 1. Trafficking. The Committee previously noted the Government’s statement in its written reply to the list of issues raised by the Committee on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW), that the Syrian Arab Republic’s geographical location makes the country an environment that is conducive to organized trafficking (3 April 2008, CMW/C/SYR/Q/1/Add.1, paragraph 78). The Committee also noted the CMW’s recommendation that the Government step up its efforts to counter migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, especially women and children (CMW/C/SYR/CO/1, paragraph 40).

The Committee noted the information in the Government’s report that Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 establishes the Department to Combat Human Trafficking in Persons. The Government indicated that this Department will be responsible for regulating and providing a database on investigations (including statistical data on human trafficking), and will provide relevant bodies with this information. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken by the Department to Combat Human Trafficking in Persons with regard to combating child trafficking. It also requests the Government to provide up-to-date statistical information from the database run by this Department pertaining to cases of trafficking involving victims under the age of 18, including information on the number and nature of infringements reported, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties applied.

2. Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the labour inspectorate. In previous comments, the Committee noted that, through the Decent Work Pilot Programme (DWPP), measures would be taken to increase the capacities of labour inspection employees in the agricultural and industrial sectors. The Government indicated that it was formulating a plan for the labour inspectorate in this regard and was developing mechanisms for the coordination of various bodies responsible for the implementation of inspections.

The Committee noted the statement in the Government’s report that, through the Capacity-Building Programme for labour inspectors and the National Programme for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour, three training and rehabilitation courses were held for labour inspectors in the agricultural and industrial sectors. The Government indicated that these courses also included training on occupational health and safety with regard to child labour. The Committee also noted the Government’s statement in its report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) of 2 June 2010 that the second phase of the DWPP will focus on children working in industry in Aleppo and in agriculture in Dayr al Zawr (CRC/C/SYR/3-4, paragraph 284). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken within the framework of the DWPP with regard to strengthening the capacity of the labour inspectorate to monitor the worst forms of child labour.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (b). Providing the necessary and appropriate direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour, and for their rehabilitation and social integration. Child victims of trafficking. The Committee previously noted the Government’s indication that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on national capacity building with regard to the running of a shelter for victims of human trafficking in the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Committee noted the information in the Government’s report that, through the National Programme for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, in collaboration with the ILO, it intends to establish a centre for the rehabilitation of children, focused on their reintegration. The Government also indicated that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour has upgraded its social support centres through this Programme. Moreover, the Committee noted the Government’s statement that Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 includes measures to upgrade a shelter for the care of human trafficking victims. It also noted the Government’s statement, in its report to the CRC of 2 June 2010, that a shelter for victims of human trafficking was opened in Damascus on 31 December 2008, through collaboration with the IOM, and that another shelter for this purpose is intended for Aleppo (CRC/C/SYR/3-4, paragraph 158). The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the number of child victims of trafficking who have benefited from appropriate services from the shelters established for victims of trafficking and the support centres of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.

Parts IV and V of the report form. Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee previously noted that the Government encountered various difficulties in the application of the Convention, including the lack of comprehensive integrated national systems for the collection and analysis of data and weak follow-up and monitoring mechanisms on cases of the employment of children.

The Committee noted the information in the Government’s report that it is undertaking an analytical study on the situation of child labour in Syria, in collaboration with the ILO and UNICEF. The Government indicated that a database is being developed on the subject. The Committee requests the Government to provide information from the analytical study on child labour in the Syrian Arab Republic, with its next report, particularly information related to the nature, extent and trends of the worst forms of child labour, and the number of children covered by the measures giving effect to the Convention.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2011, published 101st ILC session (2012)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. Sale and trafficking of children. The Committee previously noted the Government’s indication that it was preparing a comprehensive law to combat the crime of trafficking in persons and that a copy of this law would be sent to the Committee when promulgated. In this regard, the Committee expressed the hope that this law would prohibit the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years for the purposes of both sexual and labour exploitation.

The Committee notes the Government’s statement that Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010, which relates to human trafficking crimes, has been adopted. The Government states that this law aims to prohibit and combat human trafficking and to pay special attention to women and children who are victims of this crime. The Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 with its next report.

Article 5. Monitoring mechanisms. Trafficking. The Committee previously noted the Government’s statement in its written reply to the list of issues raised by the Committee on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW), that the Syrian Arab Republic’s geographical location makes the country an environment that is conducive to organized trafficking (3 April 2008, CMW/C/SYR/Q/1/Add.1, paragraph 78). The Committee also noted the CMW’s recommendation that the Government step up its efforts to counter migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, especially women and children (CMW/C/SYR/CO/1, paragraph 40).

The Committee notes the information in the Government’s report that Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 establishes the Department to Combat Human Trafficking in Persons. The Government indicates that this Department will be responsible for regulating and providing a database on investigations (including statistical data on human trafficking), and will provide relevant bodies with this information. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on specific measures taken by the Department to Combat Human Trafficking in Persons with regard to combating child trafficking. It also requests the Government to provide up-to-date statistical information from the database run by this Department pertaining to cases of trafficking involving victims under the age of 18, including information on the number and nature of infringements reported, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties applied.

Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the labour inspectorate. In previous comments, the Committee noted that, through the Decent Work Pilot Programme (DWPP), measures would be taken to increase the capacities of labour inspection employees in the agricultural and industrial sectors. The Government indicated that it was formulating a plan for the labour inspectorate in this regard and was developing mechanisms for the coordination of various bodies responsible for the implementation of inspections.

The Committee notes the statement in the Government’s report that, through the Capacity-Building Programme for labour inspectors and the National Programme for the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour, three training and rehabilitation courses were held for labour inspectors in the agricultural and industrial sectors. The Government indicates that these courses also included training on occupational health and safety with regard to child labour. The Committee also notes the Government’s statement in its report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) of 2 June 2010 that the second phase of the DWPP will focus on children working in industry in Aleppo and in agriculture in Dayr al-Zawr (CRC/C/SYR/3-4, paragraph 284). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken within the framework of the DWPP with regard to strengthening the capacity of the labour inspectorate to monitor the worst forms of child labour.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (b). Providing the necessary and appropriate direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour, and for their rehabilitation and social integration. Child victims of trafficking. The Committee previously noted the Government’s indication that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on national capacity building with regard to the running of a shelter for victims of human trafficking in the Syrian Arab Republic.

The Committee notes the information in the Government’s report that, through the National Programme for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, in collaboration with the ILO, it intends to establish a centre for the rehabilitation of children, focused on their reintegration. The Government also indicates that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour has upgraded its social support centres through this Programme. Moreover, the Committee notes the Government’s statement that Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 includes measures to upgrade a shelter for the care of human trafficking victims. It also notes the Government’s statement, in its report to the CRC of 2 June 2010, that a shelter for victims of human trafficking was opened in Damascus on 31 December 2008, through collaboration with the IOM, and that another shelter for this purpose is intended for Aleppo (CRC/C/SYR/3-4, paragraph 158). The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the number of child victims of trafficking who have benefited from appropriate services from the shelters established for victims of trafficking and the support centres of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour.

Parts IV and V of the report form. Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee previously noted that the Government encountered various difficulties in the application of the Convention, including the lack of comprehensive integrated national systems for the collection and analysis of data and weak follow-up and monitoring mechanisms on cases of the employment of children.

The Committee notes the information in the Government’s report that it is undertaking an analytical study on the situation of child labour in Syria, in collaboration with the ILO and UNICEF. The Government indicates that a database is being developed on the subject. The Committee requests the Government to provide information from the analytical study on child labour in the Syrian Arab Republic, with its next report, particularly information related to the nature, extent and trends of the worst forms of child labour, and the number of children covered by the measures giving effect to the Convention.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2009, published 99th ILC session (2010)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. 1. Sale and trafficking of children. The Committee previously noted the Government’s indication that, in addition to the provisions relating to trafficking in the Act on Prostitution and the Constitution, the Government was preparing a comprehensive law to combat the crime of trafficking of persons. The Committee expressed the hope that this law would prohibit the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years for the purposes of both sexual and labour exploitation, and requested the Government to provide information on any developments made towards its adoption. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that the National Committee has completed the draft bill on combating trafficking in persons, and submitted it to the supervisory bodies to complete its promulgation. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that a copy of this law will be sent to the Committee when it is issued. The Committee encourages the Government to ensure the adoption of this draft bill on combating trafficking in persons, and to supply a copy of this text with its next report.

Article 5. Monitoring mechanisms. Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the labour inspectorate. In previous comments, the Committee noted that, through the Decent Work Pilot Programme (DWPP), in cooperation with the ILO, work was under way to strengthen the capacities of labour inspection employees in the agricultural and industrial sectors. The Committee requested the Government to provide information on the impact of the DWPP on strengthening the capacity of the agricultural and industrial labour inspectorate to monitor children involved in the worst forms of child labour.

The Committee notes the Government’s statement that it is currently formulating a new plan for a labour inspectorate, through the DWPP. This plan is based on strengthening the capacities of inspectors and developing mechanisms for the coordination of various bodies responsible for the implementation of the inspections, necessitated by the expanding role of the private sector, the increasing numbers of private institutions, and the expansion of the informal sector. The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that a training course for this purpose was organized in August 2009 aimed at capacity development, and that a draft law has been formulated. The Committee further notes the information in the Government’s report that an annual inspection report for 2007 has been issued. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken to strengthen the capacities of the labour inspectorate through the DWPP on the monitoring of children working in the worst forms of child labour, particularly in the informal sector. The Committee also requests the Government to supply a copy of the draft bill on labour inspection, when it is adopted. The Committee further requests the Government to include a copy of the inspection report for 2007 with its next report, in addition to any labour inspection reports subsequently issued.

2. Trafficking. The Committee notes the Government’s statement in its written reply to the list of issues raised by the Committee on Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families (CMW), in connection with the consideration of the Government’s report on the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, that the Syrian Arab Republic’s geographical location makes the country an environment that is conducive to organized trafficking, despite the fact that Syrian legislation includes various provisions penalizing trafficking and the elements that constitute trafficking offences (CMW/C/SYR/Q/1/Add.1, paragraph 78). The Committee notes that the CMW recommended that the Government step up its efforts to counter migrant smuggling and trafficking in persons, especially women and children, including by taking appropriate steps to detect the illegal or clandestine movements of migrant workers and their families and punish the criminals and groups who orchestrate or assist such movements (CMW/C/SYR/CO/1, paragraph 40). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on measures taken or envisaged to strengthen anti‑trafficking monitoring mechanisms, particularly with regard to the prevention of the trafficking of children.

Article 7, paragraph 2. Clause (b). Providing the necessary and appropriate direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour, and for their rehabilitation and social integration. Child victims of trafficking. The Committee notes the Government’s information in its written reply to the list of issues raised by the CMW, that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MoSAL) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Organization for Migration on national capacity building with regard to the running of a shelter for victims of human trafficking in the Syrian Arab Republic (CMW/C/SYR/Q/1/Add.1 paragraph 80). This agreement is aimed at building and enhancing the technical capacity of government workers and of civil society associations responsible for running the shelter. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the number of child victims of trafficking who have been rehabilitated and reintegrated into society through this shelter for victims of trafficking, as well as information on any other measures taken in this regard.

Clause (d). Identify and reach out to children at special risk. Beggars and vagrant children. In previous comments, the Committee noted that the MoSAL, the Ministry of Education and a number of NGOs were in charge of developing and following up on programmes aimed at combating child begging and providing rehabilitation and social assistance to delinquent and vagrant children. The Committee noted that centres for beggars and vagrants were established, starting in Damascus, and requested the Government to indicate the number of children under 18 years who have been removed from begging and rehabilitated through these centres. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that these centres provide the necessary care and services for the accommodation of occupants, and provide them with educational services, training and vocational rehabilitation (which suit their physical capacities). The Committee further notes the statistical information on these centres included in the Government’s report, which indicates that in 2008, 1,121 persons under 18 were provided with services from this centre.

Parts IV and V of the report form. Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee previously noted that the Government encountered various difficulties in the application of the Convention, including the lack of comprehensive integrated national systems for the collection of data and statistics and their analysis and the weak follow-up and monitoring mechanisms on cases of the employment of children. The Committee again notes that the Government provides no information on any progress made in resolving the abovementioned difficulties. It requests the Government to provide information on this point in its next report. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the nature, extent and trends of the worst forms of child labour, studies and inquiries and statistical data on the number of children covered by the measures giving effect to the Convention, the number and nature of infringements reported, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties applied.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

The Committee notes the Government’s first report. It requests the Government to provide further information on the following points.

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. 1. Sale and trafficking of children. The Committee had previously noted that procuring children to leave the country for the purpose of engagement in acts of prostitution or debauchery constitutes an offence (sections 1–3 of the Act on Prostitution). It had noted, however, that no provisions appeared to exist in the relevant legislation which prohibits the sale and trafficking of children for labour exploitation. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Syrian Constitution considers freedom as a sacred right of every child to be guaranteed by the State. Citizens may not be pushed away from their nation and trafficking is prohibited and punishable. Syrian laws specify a harsher penalty if the victim has not reached 18 years of age. Traffickers shall be punished for the crime of trafficking irrespective of the result, or whether it is for profit or for labour exploitation. The Committee also notes the Government’s information that it is currently preparing a comprehensive law to combat the crime of trafficking of persons. The Committee trusts that the comprehensive law to combat trafficking of persons will also prohibit the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years for purposes of sexual and labour exploitation. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any developments made towards the adoption of the comprehensive law to combat trafficking of persons.

Article 5. Monitoring mechanisms. Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the labour inspectorate. The Committee had previously noted that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MSAL) issued the necessary circulars in the governorates in order to intensify inspections in agricultural, commercial and industrial undertakings. Furthermore, a project for the establishment and rehabilitation of the Agricultural and Industrial Labour Inspectorate in collaboration with the ILO Office in Beirut and with the Ministry of Labour of Jordan would be set up. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the MSAL provides employees involved in inspection with several training courses aimed at strengthening and building their scientific and practical capacities. Moreover, work is currently under way so as to strengthen the capacities of employees in agricultural and industrial labour inspection, through the Decent Work Pilot Programme, which will be carried out in cooperation with the ILO. The Committee also notes the Government’s information that the labour inspectorate monitors the provisions of the Labour Code, especially sections 124, 125 and 126 relating to the employment of children and young persons. When inspectors find that violations occur, they refer them to the competent courts. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the Decent Work Pilot Programme on strengthening the capacity of the Agricultural and Industrial Labour Inspectorate to monitor children involved in the worst forms of child labour. It also requests the Government to supply, with its next report, extracts of the inspection reports specifying the extent and nature of violations detected concerning children and young persons involved in the worst forms of child labour.

Article 7, clause (d). Identify and reach out to children at special risk. Beggars and vagrant children. The Committee had previously noted that the MSAL, the Ministry of Education and a number of NGOs were in charge of developing and following up on programmes aimed at combating child begging and providing rehabilitation and social assistance to delinquent and vagrant children. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the MSAL, based on Act No. 16 of 1975, seeks to upgrade the centres for beggars and vagrants, starting with Damascus, where there is the highest population density in the country. These centres, regulated by internal regulation No. 589 of 1977, provide vagrants with clothing, accommodation, social services, psychological and health care, and other rehabilitative measures. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the MSAL currently promotes the centres for vagrants in coordination with the governorate of Aleppo. The Committee requests the Government to indicate the number of children under 18 years who have been removed from begging and rehabilitated through these centres.

Parts IV and V of the report form. Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee had previously noted that the Government encountered various difficulties in the application of the Convention, including: (a) the lack of comprehensive integrated national systems for the collection of data and statistics and their analysis; (b) the weak follow-up and monitoring mechanisms on cases of the employment of children; and (c) the lack of specialized centres (due to poor financial resources) for the protection of child victims of exploitation and for their reintegration into society. The Committee notes that the Government provides no information on any progress made in resolving the abovementioned difficulties. It requests the Government to provide information on this point in its next report.

 The Committee notes that the Government refers to the Industrial Labour Inspectorate inspection report for 2006, which indicates the infringements committed and their nature. It also notes the Government’s information that no cases of exploitation of children were reported. It requests the Government to provide a copy of the Industrial Labour Inspectorate inspection report for 2006.

Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2006, published 96th ILC session (2007)

The Committee notes the Government’s first report. It requests it to provide further information on the following points.

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. 1. Sale and trafficking of children. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Syrian Arab Republic signed on 13 December 2000 the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, supplementing the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organized Crime. It also notes the Government’s statement that Syrian laws have confirmed the prohibition of child trafficking. It notes that, by virtue of sections 5 and 6 of the Act on Prostitution (Act. No. 10 of 1961), anyone who facilitates any other person to enter the Syrian Arab Republic for the purposes of prostitution or debauchery commits an offence. It also notes that, according to the Government’s initial report of 1996 to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/28/ADD.2, paragraphs 268‑269), sections 1-3 of the Act on Prostitution punish any act of incitement or any attempt to help children to leave the country for the purpose of engagement in acts of prostitution or debauchery. The Committee notes that no provisions appear to exist in the relevant legislation which prohibits the sale and trafficking of children for labour exploitation. It accordingly requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to prohibit the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age for the purpose of labour exploitation. The Committee also requests the Government to provide a copy of Act No. 10 of 1961 with its next report.

2. Slavery and forced labour. The Committee notes that article 25 of the Constitution stipulates that freedom is a sacred right and the State protects the personal freedom of the citizens and safeguards their dignity and security. It notes that, according to the Government’s initial report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/28/Add.2, paragraph 98), section 8 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which forms part of the Syrian national legislation under the terms of Decree No. 3 of 1969, states that all forms of slavery are prohibited, including the slave trade, and no one shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour. The Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of Decree No. 3 of 1969 with its next report.

3. Compulsory recruitment of a child for use in armed conflict. The Committee notes the Government’s information that there is no armed conflict or operations involving children inside the Syrian Arab Republic. It also notes that, according to the Government’s initial report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC/C/28/Add.2, paragraph 338), section 6 of the Military Service Act promulgated by Legislative Decree no. 115 of 1993, as amended, states that “every Syrian is required to perform compulsory military service on reaching the age at which it becomes obligatory. The said age begins on the first day of the month of January in the year in which he reaches the age of 19 years”. The Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of this text in its next report.

Clause (b). 1. Use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution. The Committee notes that, according to section 510 of the Penal Code, anyone, in order to satisfy the passions of others, hires, trains or corrupts a woman or a girl who has not turned 21 years of age, even with her consent, commits an offence. Section 511 punishes anyone who retains against his/her will, a person in a house of debauchery, or who forces this person into prostitution. Section 512 punishes anyone who facilitates prostitution and section 513 punishes anyone living off the profits of prostitution. The Committee notes the Government’s information that Act No. 10 of 1961 on prostitution punishes anyone who uses, incites or tempts another person, male or female, for the purposes of committing prostitution or debauchery, through deceit, force, threat or abuse of power (sections 3 and 4).

2. Use, procuring or offering of a child for pornography or pornographic performances. The Committee notes the Government’s information that section 519 of the Penal Code states that any person who manufactures, exports, imports or is found in possession of publications, photos, films or signs or any other obscene objects for the purpose of trafficking, distribution, or was found to know the way of obtaining it, commits an offence. It notes that the Penal Code also punishes the incitement of young persons under 18 years to debauchery or corruption (section 509). The Committee notes the Government’s statement that, instead of formulating a special legal provision for children, the penalty is increased when children are used in such acts or when such a crime is committed by the child’s parents, or by a guardian. It further notes the Government’s information that Act No. 50 of 2001 on publications punishes any person who behaves in a manner which is contrary to public morals, such as through photos, leaflets, publications and films (section 50). It notes that, according to the Government, Order No. 472/n of 22 June 2004 regulates the work of Internet cafes. This Order also emphasizes the importance of ensuring health and security conditions at such cafes and the need to secure the procedures which hinder visiting pornographic sites especially for children under 18.

Clause (c). Use, procuring or offering a child for illicit activities. Production and trafficking of drugs. The Committee notes that section 39 of the Narcotic Drugs Law No. 12 of 1993 punishes: (a) anyone who smuggles narcotic drugs (including the traffic and illicit transport of narcotic drugs in transit); (b) anyone who manufactures narcotic drugs, in circumstances other than those authorized by this law; (c) anyone who cultivates any of the plants listed in Schedule No. 4, in circumstances other than those authorized by this law, or who smuggles such plants in any stage of their growth, or who smuggles their seeds. According to section 39(b)(iii), the use of a minor in the perpetration of one of the offences provided for in this provision, constitutes an aggravating circumstance. The Committee notes that section 604 of the Penal Code punishes anyone who, for personal gain, induces a minor under 18 years to beg.

Articles 3(d) and 4, paragraph 1. Hazardous work. The Committee notes that section 124(c) of the Labour Code, as amended by the Law No. 24 of 2000, provides that the Minister may prohibit the employment of young persons under 18 years in some industries. The Committee notes that Order No. 183 of 2001, based on section 124(c) of the Labour Code, identifies 50 industries and occupations in which young persons under 18 years shall not be employed, such as: underground work in mines and quarries; work with blast furnaces for mineral smelting; work involving the manufacture of lead; work involving the manufacture and preparation of benzyls, chlorides, petroleum and a number of poisoning substances; work involving the manufacture of explosives; slaughter and skinning of animals; work with any source of harmful radiation; loading, unloading and handling of goods in ports, yards and railway stations. Section 3 of this Order further states that young persons under 18 years of age may not be employed in lifting, pulling or pushing heavy weights exceeding the weight indicated in the annexed tables.

Article 5. Mechanisms to monitor the implementation of the provisions giving effect to the Convention. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and the labour inspectorate. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour collaborates with a number of bodies to give effect the provisions of the Convention, such as the Ministries of the Interior, Justice, Information, Foreign Affairs and Education, the Syrian Authority for Family Affairs, the Authority on State Planning, the Central Office for Statistics, popular organizations and civil society associations. It also notes the Government’s information that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour follows up on the application and implementation of the Convention through the labour inspectorate, located all over the country and through inspections of agricultural, commercial and industrial undertakings besides the work carried out by the social security inspectors also attached to the Ministry. According to section 212 of the Labour Code, inspectors are entitled to enter workplaces and carry out inspections by day and night, within or outside working hours and during holidays, and can examine any books, records and documents kept by employers or their representatives. It notes the Government’s information that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour issued the necessary circulars in the governorates in order to intensify inspections in agricultural, commercial and industrial undertakings. Furthermore, a project for the establishment and rehabilitation of the agricultural and industrial labour inspectorate in collaboration with the ILO Office in Beirut and with the Ministry of Labour of Jordan will be set up. The Committee asks the Government to continue providing information on the activities of the labour inspectorate. It also requests the Government to provide information on the implementation of the project for the establishment and rehabilitation of the agricultural and industrial labour inspectorate.

Article 6. Programmes of action to eliminate as a priority the worst forms of child labour. The Committee notes that, notwithstanding the launch by the Government of numerous initiatives generally aimed at protecting children, no programmes of action seem to have been adopted aimed at eliminating the worst forms of child labour. The Committee reminds the Government that Article 6 of the Convention requires ratifying member States to take measures to design and implement programmes of action to eliminate as a priority the worst forms of child labour and that, by virtue of Article 1 of the Convention, member States are required to take immediate and effective measures to secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour as a matter or urgency. The Committee accordingly requests the Government to design and adopt the necessary programmes of action, in consultation with workers’ and employers’ organizations and taking into account the views of other concerned groups, to ensure that the worst forms of child labour do not exist or arise in the Syrian Arab Republic.

Article 7, paragraph 1. Penalties. The Committee notes that sufficiently dissuasive and effective penalties of imprisonment are imposed on anyone who commits the following offences: trafficking for the purpose of prostitution (sections 1, 3, 5 and 6 of Act No. 10 of 1961); incitement to prostitution (sections 3 and 4 of Act No. 10 of 1961); manufacture, import or export of obscene material (section 519 of the Penal Code). It also notes that section 216 of the Labour Code, as amended by Law No. 24 of 2000, provides that any person who violates the provisions of sections 124, 125 and 126 relating to the employment of children and young persons, including the prohibition of hazardous work, shall be liable to a maximum fine of 1,000 Syrian liras. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the penalties imposed in practice.

Article 7, paragraph 2. Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Prevent the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. 1. Commercial sexual exploitation. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Syrian Authority for Family Affairs has set up national committees for the protection of women and children against violence and exploitation in all forms. Moreover, the Syrian Authority for Family Affairs is currently examining the possibility of determining the extent of sexual exploitation of children and child labour in a precise manner. The Committee notes the Government’s information that collaboration was ensured between the Rainbow Foundation for a Better Childhood and UNICEF to set up a national team for child protection against sexual exploitation in May 2005. A symposium on child protection was held on 9-11 December 2004 in collaboration with the Rainbow Foundation for a Better Childhood, the Association of Psychologists in Syria, the Syrian Authority for Family Affairs, UNICEF and ISPCAN. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the initiatives of the Syrian Authority for Family Affairs and their impact on preventing children from being engaged in commercial sexual exploitation.

2. Ensuring access to free basic education. The Committee notes the Government’s information that it gives great attention to education. In particular, it ensures the setting up of schools in all population agglomerations and seeks to upgrade educational techniques. It notes the Government’s information that education is provided free of charge in all phases, and is compulsory in the primary phase of education until the age of 15 years (by virtue of Law No. 32 of 2002). It notes the Government’s information that the Ministry of Education implements the Compulsory Basic Education Act (No. 35 of 1981) and follows up on the implementation of illiteracy eradication programmes formulated by the Upper Council for Illiteracy Eradication and the monitoring of programmes against students dropping out of schools, in collaboration with UNICEF and UNESCO. Furthermore, several ministries, such as the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Local Administration and the Ministry of Information contribute to the issue of education. The Committee finally notes that, in its Periodic Reports to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, (CRC/C/93/Add.2, 18 October 2002, paragraph 135) the Government stated that, with regard to the mechanisms created to guarantee all children, including girls and boys with special needs and children living in particularly difficult circumstances, access to education, special schools have been set up for children with different categories of special needs.

Clause (b). Providing the necessary and appropriate assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour, and for their rehabilitation and social integration. Child victims of sexual commercial exploitation. The Committee notes the Government’s information that collaboration was ensured between the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour and some NGOs to upgrade two centres for the protection of women and children against exploitation and violence. It also notes that the National Plan for Child Protection against Violence has envisaged the setting up of a special centre for the protection of children who are victims of violence and sexual exploitation. The centre will secure the protection of such children and provide for their rehabilitation and social reintegration. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the number of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation who have been rehabilitated through the abovementioned centres.

Clause (d). Identify and reach out to children at special risk. Beggars and vagrant children. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour follows up on development and social care programmes for children through centres for the rehabilitation of delinquent and vagrant children. The Ministry of Education monitors the programmes on fighting, begging and providing for social assistance, which are provided by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour in collaboration with NGOs. The Committee notes the Government’s information that a number of NGOs in the Syrian Arab Republic were set up with the aim of, amongst others, protecting children against begging and employment. One such example includes the Child Protection in Homes set up in 2005. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on measures aimed at protecting and removing child beggars and vagrant children from the worst forms of child labour.

Article 8. International cooperation. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Syrian Arab Republic collaborates with international organizations, such as the ILO, the Arab Labour Organization, UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNDP and some NGOs working on child protection, such as ISPCAN, in order to improve the situation of children. The Syrian Arab Republic also collaborates with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees with the aim of securing appropriate conditions for refugees, especially children. It further offers all facilities to UNRWA. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Syrian Arab Republic signed a Partnership Agreement with the European Union on 19 October 2004, which is expected to lead to a qualitative improvement in the process of development. Collaboration is also ensured with Japan through its numerous grants and loans aimed at combating poverty.

Part III of the report form. The Committee notes the Government’s statement that competent Syrian courts have rendered different sentences on child labour in fields specified in the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to provide a copy of such sentences with its next report.

Part IV of the report form. The Committee notes the Government’s information that it encountered the following difficulties in the application of the Convention: (a) the lack of comprehensive integrated national systems for the collection of data and statistics and their analysis; (b) the weak follow-up and monitoring mechanisms in cases of aggression on children and their employment; (c) the lack of specialized judges on children’s issues; (d) the lack of specialized centres (due to poor financial resources) for protection of child victims, for treatment after aggression and for their reintegration into the society. In this regard, the Committee notes the Government’s information that the Syrian Authority for Family Affairs, in collaboration with the Judicial Institute, is currently examining a programme to train judges in order to enable them to deal with children’s issues. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the manner in which the Convention is applied, including any progress made with regard to the abovementioned difficulties encountered in the implementation of the Convention.

Part V of the report form. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the annual inspection report pursuant to Convention No. 81, and the report on the inspection of agricultural work pursuant to Convention No. 129, are regularly sent to the Office once they are issued. These reports contain information on the number and nature of violations reported, and the penalties imposed. The Committee notes that, according to the Labour Inspection Annual Report of 2001, a total of 3,380 general inspections were undertaken in 2001, covering all the 12 governorates. The table annexed to the inspection report indicates the number of adolescent workers as 275, but it contains no information on the number and nature of infringements reported regarding children. The Committee notes the Government’s information that no cases of trafficking in humans for exploitation purposes were reported. Moreover, no field statistics and studies on child labour are available. The Committee requests the Government to continue supplying copies or extracts of inspection reports, specifying the extent and nature of violations detected concerning children and young persons involved in the worst forms of child labour. It also requests the Government to provide, as soon as it becomes available, information on the nature extent and trends of the worst forms of child labour, the number of children covered by the measures giving effect to the Convention, the number and nature of infringements reported, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties imposed.