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Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Paraguay (RATIFICATION: 2004)

Article 2(3) of the Convention. Age of completion of compulsory schooling. Further to its previous comments, the Committee duly notes Act No. 4088 of 13 September 2010 establishing free compulsory basic education (6–14 years). It also notes the Government’s information on the “National Education Plan 2024” and the “Updated Strategic Education Plan 2020”. However, the Committee notes that, according to the 2012 Education for All Global Monitoring Report published by UNESCO, the net primary school enrolment rate (6–11 years) fell sharply between 1999 and 2010 (from 96 per cent to 85 per cent). Furthermore, according to data for 2009 and 2011 from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, the proportion of children of primary school age who do not attend school has increased in recent years (from 14 per cent in 2009 to 16 per cent in 2011). The Committee encourages the Government to intensify its efforts, in the context of the implementation of the National Education Plan 2024 and the Updated Strategic Education Plan 2020, to increase the school attendance rate and reduce the school drop-out rate for children under 14 years of age. It requests the Government to provide information on the results achieved in this regard.

Article 3(1). Minimum age for admission to hazardous work. Domestic work. The Committee previously noted that, under Decree No. 4951 of 22 March 2005 issuing implementing regulations for Act No. 1657/2001 and approving the list of hazardous types of work, domestic work and the criadazgo system are recognized as hazardous types of work prohibited for persons under 18 years of age. It noted that the competent authorities may, however, authorize domestic work as from 16 years, on condition that the education, health, safety and morals of the young persons concerned are fully guaranteed and that they have received adequate specific instruction or vocational training in the relevant branch of activity, in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Convention.

It notes with interest that, in the context of the ratification of the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), by Paraguay, a draft Bill concerning domestic work, and fixing the minimum age for access to employment for domestic workers at 18 years, has been submitted to the Senate. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress made with regard to the adoption of this draft Bill.

Article 8. Artistic performances. In its previous comments the Committee noted the Government’s indications that parents grant their children special permission to be involved in artistic performances. It observed that such parental authorization is not sufficient in relation to Article 8 of the Convention. In this regard, the Secretariat for Children and Young Persons (SNNA) has considered that it would be necessary to establish rules governing activities by children and young persons, in the context not only of artistic performances but also of sporting events.

The Committee notes that the Government’s report still does not contain any information on this subject. It again requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that children under 14 years of age who participate in artistic performances only do so on the basis of individual permits granted by the competent authorities, which limit the number of hours of work and the conditions in which it is allowed, in accordance with Article 8 of the Convention.