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Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - United Arab Emirates (RATIFICATION: 1998)

The Committee notes the communication from the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) concerning work by children as camel jockeys. These comments were forwarded to the Government on 18 September 2000. However, the Office has still not received the Government’s comments. While awaiting the Government’s reply, the Committee refers in this observation to the communication from the ICFTU.

In these comments, reference is made to children of five or six years of age who are taken to the United Arab Emirates to be used as jockeys in camel races. These children are often kidnapped, sold by their parents or taken under false pretences. They are thereby separated from their families and taken to a country where the people, culture and language are completely unknown to them. The boys are underfed and subjected to severe diets before races so they are as light as possible.

Article 2 of the Convention.  The comments emphasize that the use of young children as camel jockeys is not in conformity with section 20 of the labour legislation of the United Arab Emirates, which forbids work by children under the age of 15 years. The Committee recalls that, when ratifying Convention No. 138, the Government specified the minimum age of 15 years for admission to employment or work.

The Committee emphasizes that, in the report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (E/CN. 4/1999/71), it is indicated that "in 1993, the Camel Jockey Association of the United Arab Emirates finally prohibited the use of children as jockeys. New evidence, however, clearly indicates that the rules are being blatantly ignored. In February 1998, ten Bangladeshi boys, aged between five and eight, were rescued in India while being smuggled to become camel jockeys".

The Committee hopes that the Government will furnish its comments concerning the observations transmitted by the ICFTU. It urges the Government to take all the necessary measures to prohibit work by children as camel jockeys and hopes that the Government will provide information on this matter in its first report.

Article 3.  The Committee recalls that, by virtue of Article 3, paragraph 1, of the Convention, the minimum age for admission to any type of employment or work which by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out is likely to jeopardize the health, safety or morals of young persons shall not be less than 18 years. The Committee considers that the employment of children as camel jockeys constitutes dangerous work within the meaning of this Article. The Committee therefore requests the Government to take all the necessary measures to ensure that no child under 18 years of age is employed as a camel jockey.