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

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

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.