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

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

Articles 3, 5 and 7(1) and (2)(a) of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour, monitoring mechanisms, penalties and effective and time-bound measures. All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. Sale and trafficking of children. The Committee notes, from the Government’s report, that during the reporting period: (1) 13 cases of trafficking in persons were investigated, 7 cases were sent to court, and 6 cases are still pending; and (2) 6 child victims of trafficking (all girls) were reunified with their parents.

The Committee also notes, from the Government’s report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) that: (1) efforts are routinely carried out at all immigration entry points to detect child trafficking and that 32 children have been rescued from attempted trafficking schemes, with the alleged traffickers investigated, charged and sent to court for prosecution; (2) 26 Liberian girls trafficked to Oman were rescued; and (3) three Safe Homes were established in Bomi and Margibi Counties for trafficking victims (CRC/C/LBR/5-6, 16 October 2023, paras 224, 225 and 227).

The Committee further notes, from the Report of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, that comprehensive regional strategies are in place, such as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Plan of Action on Trafficking in Persons for the period 2018–28, and the ECOWAS Strategic Framework for Strengthening Child Protection Systems and its Strategic Action Plan (2019–30). However, the Special Rapporteur also expresses concerns regarding: (1) a lack of awareness among law enforcement authorities of the provisions of the revised Act to Ban Trafficking in Persons and relevant human rights principles on trafficking in persons; (2) the fact that, despite credible information on the prevalence of trafficking for sexual exploitation in mining and rubber plantation concession areas, particularly affecting young women and girls, there appears to be a widespread tolerance and generalized passivity on the part of police and judiciary with regard to this serious human rights violation; (3) the lack of child protection services and safe accommodation for children at border areas; (4) the limited scope and reach of measures to ensure access to justice for children and child-friendly justice procedures, particularly in rural areas; (5) the insufficient training on standard victim identification and national referral mechanisms among border agents, health and social workers which increases the risk that trafficked children will not be detected; (6) the corruption in the administration of justice which continues to undermine effective action to combat trafficking in persons, accountability and access to justice for victims; and (7) the trafficking in children for sexual exploitation which particularly affects girls in rural areas, who are at high risk of trafficking to urban areas for purposes of domestic servitude, exploitation in street vending and sexual exploitation, which persists, with limited response from law enforcement or government bodies (A/HRC/59/56/Add.2, 28 April 2025, paras 7, 9, 17, 19, 28, 29, 32, 34 and 46).

The Committee notes with deepconcern the persistence of trafficking in children, especially girls, for labour and sexual exploitation, as well as the allegations of corruption in the administration of justice. The Committee therefore urges the Government to intensify its efforts to combat trafficking in children, including by strengthening law enforcement bodies, to ensure that all persons who commit acts of trafficking in children, including complicit and corrupt officials, are subject to investigations and prosecutions, and that sanctions constituting effective deterrents are imposed. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations, prosecutions and convictions, as well as the specific penalties imposed in this respect. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide information on the number of victims of trafficking under 18 years of age who have been identified, and to indicate the type of necessary and appropriate direct assistance they were provided with to ensure their removal from this worst form of child labour, and their rehabilitation and social integration.

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 UNICEF Liberia’s Annual Report for 2024, that some progress was achieved in guaranteeing access to education for children, including: (1) the net enrolment rate improved from 46.3 per cent in 2021/2022 to 51 per cent in 2024; (2) the campaign “Back to My Classroom” was launched, in collaboration with UNICEF, and it sought to enrol 37,000 out-of-school children by 2025; and (3) UNICEF supported the operationalization of the Education Sector Plan 2022–25. While taking note of this information, the Committee notes that UNICEF’s report also highlights that 38 per cent of primary and 64 per cent of junior secondary students are over-age, and that girls continue to face entrenched barriers to education, such as child marriage.

The Committee further notes, from the 2025 Report of the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children, that: (1) the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection identified 153,982 out-of-school children across the country; and (2) the Ministry of Education also profiled over 6,000 volunteer teachers and found that 19.2 per cent did not have the requisite credentials to teach children (A/HRC/59/56/Add.2, para. 35). The Committee requests the Government to pursue its efforts to improve the functioning of the education system and to ensure that all children have access to free basic education. In this regard, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on: (i) the concrete measures taken to this end, aimed in particular at increasing the school enrolment and attendance rates at the primary and lower-secondary levels, and reducing school drop-out and repetition rates; and (ii) the results achieved, including updated statistical data on school enrolment, attendance, drop-out and repetition rates.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Children working and living on the streets. The Committee notes, from the Government’s report to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), that statistics from a quantitative data collection conducted by UNICEF and the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection in 2023, show that a total of 366,585 children are working in the streets in the country (CRC/C/LBR/5-6, para. 226). The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to protect children who are working and living in the streets and to provide them with the necessary and appropriate direct assistance to ensure their removal from this worst form of child labour, as well as their rehabilitation and social integration.

Application of the Convention in practice. The Committee recalls that the 2019-2020 Demographic and Health Survey of the Liberian Institute of Statistics and Geo-information Services found that: (1) 32 per cent of children aged 5 to 17 years were engaged in economic activities or domestic work, at or above the threshold defined for their age group; and (2) among those, 30 per cent of children worked in dangerous conditions. Considering the significant number of children under 18 years of age found in hazardous work, the Committee urges the Government to take all necessary measures to protect children from this worst form of child labour and to provide information on the measures taken in this regard. It also once again requests the Government to provide: (i) up-to-date statistics on the nature, extent and trends of the worst forms of child labour; and (ii) information on the number and nature of reported violations, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties imposed. To the extent possible, all information should be disaggregated by age and sex.

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