Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 2025, publiée 114ème session CIT (2026)

Convention (n° 117) sur la politique sociale (objectifs et normes de base), 1962 - Bolivie (État plurinational de) (Ratification: 1977)

Parts I and II of the Convention. Improvement of standards of living. The Government indicates that, with a view to strengthening the follow-up of the indicators of the Economic and Social Development Plan (PDES) 2016–20, the Comprehensive State Planning System (SPIE) was implemented. The Government refers to the PDES 2021–25, which sets out measures organized into ten focus areas targeted at the reconstruction of the economy, industrialization with import substitution, poverty reduction, the reduction of inequalities, the promotion of priority social policies and the generation of quality employment. The Committee notes the statistical data provided by the Government on poverty, income inequality, unemployment and children and young persons engaged in work during the period 2016–23. The Government indicates that during the pandemic the following economic recovery measures were adopted: (1) the “hunger voucher”, consisting of a single benefit of 1,000 Bolivianos (Bs), which was provided to over 4 million people; (2) the exceptional refunding of retirement contributions to the Comprehensive Pension System to cover the needs of the population resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic (Act No. 1392, of 8 September 2021); (3) credits for production at preferential rates; and (4) the strengthening of State enterprises and the expansion of public investment. The Government indicates that it has strengthened measures to guarantee the rights and opportunities of children and young persons through the adoption of the following measures: (1) the Juana Azurduy Voucher (BJA), which was introduced in 2009 and is targeted at women during pregnancy and childbirth; (2) the Universal Prenatal Subsidy for Life, introduced in 2015, which consists of the provision of foodstuffs with the objective of improving the nutrition of mothers and reducing neo-natal mortality; (3) the Extended Immunization Programme (PAI) of vaccination; and (4) the strengthening of the Single Universal Free Health System (SUS). In terms of the measures adopted for persons with disabilities, the Government refers to various measures, including the Labour Integration Act and the Cash Support for Persons with Disabilities (Act No. 977), of 26 September 2017 and its Regulations, adopted by Presidential Decree No. 3437 of 20 December 2017.

The Committee notes the information from various sources in the United Nations system and international bodies indicating that, despite the progress achieved in reducing poverty and the extension of social protection over the past decade, significant structural challenges remain for the full achievement of the objectives of the Convention. In particular, the Committee notes that, according to the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), around 36 per cent of the population are still affected by poverty (2023), with around 11 per cent suffering from extreme poverty (2023), with significant disparities between urban and rural areas. Indigenous peoples, who account for around half of the national population, are affected by a significantly high proportion of multidimensional poverty. Although the country has seen an improvement in income and access to basic services, income inequality levels continue to be high (a Gini index of 41.3 in 2022), reflecting the persistence of social and regional gaps.

The Committee also notes that a large proportion of the active population is engaged in the informal economy, in low-productivity activities and is without access to social security, which limits the capacity to maintain an adequate standard of living and increases their exposure to economic and health crises. The Committee also notes that, despite the progress achieved in social protection coverage, systems continue to be fragmented and are beset by difficulties of sustainability and the targeting of the most vulnerable groups.

The Committee further notes that access to essential services, such as health, education, housing and sanitation, continues to be unequal, especially in rural areas, among indigenous communities and women, who are overburdened by unpaid work and have limited access to high-quality work opportunities. The vulnerability of the country to external shocks, the dependence on primary products, fiscal limitations and the exposure to climate change are additional factors which make it difficult to achieve a sustained improvement in living standards. In this context, the Committee emphasizes the importance of social and economic polices being targeted in a coherent and sustained manner at the progressive improvement of the living standards of the population as a whole, in accordance with Articles 2 and 5 of the Convention. This requires particular attention to be paid to reducing poverty and inequality, the regulation of alienation of agricultural land, the formalization of employment, the extension of social protection (including adequate measures for workers in the informal economy, including independent producers and wage earners), the improvement of basic public services and the promotion of gender equality and equality of opportunity for indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities.

The Committee requests the Government, in future reports, to provide detailed information on the measures adopted to overcome these challenges, including statistical data disaggregated by sex, age, region and population group, as well as the results of the evaluations of the Economic and Social Development Plan (PDES) 2021–25 and the social policies implemented. The Committee also requests information on the measures adopted to ensure the fiscal sustainability and resilience of social policies in relation to economic and climate shocks, and to strengthen institutional coordination and the participation of the social partners and of civil society in the formulation and follow-up of national development strategies. More specifically, the Committee requests detailed and updated information on: (i) the monitoring of the living standards of the working population, including indicators of income, consumption, access to basic services, housing, health, education and nutrition, disaggregated by sex, age, region (urban and rural areas) and population groups (indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, subsistence producers and workers in the informal economy); (ii) the evaluation of the impact of the PDES 2021–25 and the measures adopted following the pandemic to improve living standards and reduce inequality, with an indication of the results achieved in relation to employment, income and access to social services, as well as any differentiated effects by region or social group; (iii) the social protection policies and programmes implemented to meet the essential family needs referred to in Article 5(2) of the Convention, with an indication of their coverage, adequacy and financial sustainability; (iv) the progress achieved in reducing poverty and inequality in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 1, 5, 8 and 10), with an indication of the manner in which economic development, employment and social protection policies are coordinated to ensure the coherence of public strategies; and (v) the participation of the social partners and other relevant actors, including indigenous peoples, workers’ and employers’ organizations and civil society, in the formulation, application and evaluation of social policies and the PDES. The Committee also requests that the information provided includes disaggregated and comparative statistics, as well as the results of the evaluations or mid-term revisions of the PDES 2021–25, with a view to ensuring adequate monitoring of trends in the living standards of the population. The Committee also refers the Government to its comments on the application of the Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122), as employment policies are an essential instrument for the improvement of living standards, within the meaning of the present Convention.

The Committee notes that the Government has not replied in its report to the comments made on Part III of the Convention. The Committee reiterates the content of the relevant part of its direct request, adopted in 2019, which read as follows:

Part III. Migrant workers. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information on the transfer of Bolivian migrant workers’ resources to their regions of origin and on their wage conditions. It also requested the Government to provide information on migratory movements to and from Argentina and the situation of sugar and tobacco workers. The Government indicates that there are no regulations governing the transfer of Bolivian migrant workers’ resources to their regions of origin, as the workers have total freedom to dispose of their wages. With respect to migratory movements to and from Argentina, the Government indicates that, while the migration of Bolivian citizens outside the country has been considerable since 2003, this migratory flow is of a temporary nature as the workers return once the high season of sugar cane harvesting activities is over. The Government reports that in 2017 and 2018, 97,973 Bolivian nationals left to work in Argentina on a temporary basis. With regard to tobacco production in the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the Government indicates that in 2018 tobacco producers converted 75 per cent of their crops to maize and beans, due to the heavy rainfall. The greatest increase in crop cultivation has been in sugar cane, which rose by 9.1 per cent in 2018. With regard to the labour legislation applicable in the sector, the Government refers to Presidential Decree No. 20255 of 24 May 1984, which establishes the rights and duties relating to paid work by sugar cane harvesters and cotton pickers. The Committee notes, however, that the Government does not provide any information on the pay conditions of Bolivian migrant workers. The Committee reiterates its request to the Government to provide detailed and updated information on the pay conditions of Bolivian migrant workers. It also requests the Government to provide updated and detailed information on the impact of all measures adopted to ensure that family needs are taken into account in the working conditions of national and non-national migrant workers, who are obliged to live away from their homes. The Committee also requests the Government to supply updated statistical information disaggregated by sex on the number of migrant workers obliged to live away from their homes.

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