Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 2024, publiée 113ème session CIT (2025)

Convention (n° 182) sur les pires formes de travail des enfants, 1999 - Dominique (Ratification: 2001)

The Committee notes the joint observations of the Dominica Public Service Union (DSPU), the Dominica Amalgamated Workers Union (DAWU) and the Dominica Employers’ Federation, received on 1 September 2024, communicated with the Government’s report.

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (b). Use, procuring or offering of a child for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the use, procuring or offering of a child under the age of 18 for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances is prohibited and subject to dissuasive sanctions. The Committee notes with regret the absence of information in the Government’s report on actions taken in this regard.

The Committee therefore reiterates that, in accordance with Articles 1 and 3(b) of the Convention, the use, procuring or offering of a child for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances constitutes one of the worst forms of child labour prohibited to all children under the age of 18 and which must be eliminated as a matter of urgency. The Committee therefore urges the Government to take the necessary measures, without delay, to ensure that the use, procuring or offering of a child under 18 years of age for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances is prohibited in national legislation and subject to dissuasive sanctions.

Clause (c). Use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes with regret that the Government’s report does not address this issue. Therefore,the Committee reiterates its previous request and urges the Government to take immediate steps to ensure that the use of children in illicit activities, particularly in the production and trafficking of drugs, is explicitly prohibited by law and enforceable with stringent sanctions. The Committee further requests the Government to provide detailed information on any progress made in this regard, including legislative measures, enforcement actions, and data on investigations, prosecutions, and penalties applied.

Article 6. Programmes of action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes that observations from the Dominica Employers’ Federation indicate that the Government has not yet engaged in consultations with social partners regarding the application of the Convention. The Committee also notes with regret the absence of relevant information in the Government’s report. In this regard, the Committee emphasizes that the Convention not only aims to prohibit the worst forms of child labour, but also to eliminate them entirely. While national legislation is a key tool for enforcement, the full implementation of the Convention requires substantial programmatic measures (2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, paragraph 438). The Committee therefore urges the Government to expedite its efforts to engage with the social partners and provide an update on the progress made in developing national programmes of action aimed at eliminating the worst forms of child labour. The Committee also requests detailed information on any actions taken or planned in this regard, including the outcomes of consultations with the social partners.

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. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes from the Government’s report that in accordance with national legislation, including the Education Act of 1997, children between the ages of 5 and 16 are granted free access to basic education. The Government further specifies that these provisions include pregnant teenagers and teenage mothers, who are allowed to continue their education up to the time of birth and return to school afterwards, provided they have not yet reached the age of 16.

The Committee further notes from the Government’s report to the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council Resolutions (UPR) (A/HRC/WG.6/47/DMA/1, paragraphs 75–76), the establishment of the Education Sector Plan of the Commonwealth of Dominica 2020–2025 (the Plan), implemented by the Ministry of Education to improve the overall quality and efficiency of the education sector. The Plan, focused on gender disparity and climate resilience, defines the mission, vision and strategy of Dominica’s education system. It includes a school safety net programme supporting special needs education, grants, uniforms textbooks, and feeding programmes.

The Committee also notes from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) portal, the establishment of the Global Partnership for Education Compact (the Compact), implemented with the Ministry of Education, Human Resource Planning, Vocational Training, and National Excellence. In accordance with the Compact, Dominica’s education system has advanced towards universal primary and secondary education and expanded early childhood education access. However, it acknowledges that further efforts are needed to ensure equity and improve quality across the curriculum. In this regard, the Compact, developed with input from educational stakeholders, aims to reform the education system by creating an inclusive and equitable curriculum, enhancing student achievement, retention, and inclusiveness, and aims to reduce inequalities by improving gender parity and strengthening educational quality and relevance.

The Committee notes from UNESCO’s Institute for Statistics’ Country Profile for Dominica, published in 2023, that there has been a decline in net enrolment rates for primary education, with rates falling from 96.2 per cent in 2020 to 82.2 per cent in 2022. Furthermore, the Committee notes from the National Report submitted to the Human Rights Council that for the 2023–24 school year, the Government stated that 5,496 students were enrolled in primary school, including 2,735 boys and 2,761 girls. Additionally, 4,400 students were enrolled in secondary schools, including 2,267 boys and 2,133 girls (A/HRC/WG.6/47/DMA/1, paragraph 74). While taking note of certain measures taken by the Government, the Committee requests it to continue its efforts to provide access to free basic education for all children. It further requests the Government to provide information on measures taken to improve enrolment and attendance rates at the primary and lower secondary education levels, including within the framework of the Education Sector Plan of the Commonwealth of Dominica 2020–2025 and the Global Partnership for Education Compact. Please provide updated statistics on net enrolment rates for both primary and secondary education, where possible disaggregated by age and sex.

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