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Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Eritrea (RATIFICATION: 2000)

The Committee notes with regret that the Government’s report has not been received. It is therefore bound to repeat its previous comments initially made in 2014.

Repetition

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy and application of the Convention in practice. In its previous comments, the Committee expressed its concern regarding the widespread child labour in Eritrea and the lack of data and comprehensive measures to ensure that children are protected from economic exploitation. The Committee also recalls the 2008 concluding observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) (CRC/C/ERI/CO/3, paragraphs 12 and 13), which recommended that the Government adopt a national plan of action for children and requested that the Government, with the support of the ILO, UNICEF and NGOs, develop a comprehensive assessment study and plan of action to prevent and combat child labour.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it has collected data and information to formulate a national policy and that an upcoming Comprehensive National Child Policy document is expected to strengthen efforts to provide sustained services to children.

The Committee notes with concern, however, that despite these preliminary measures, the Government’s report describes very little concrete action that has been undertaken to combat child labour, notwithstanding its prevalence in the country. The Committee notes, in this respect, the reports of the UN Human Rights Council (A/HRC/26/L.6 and A/HRC/26/45) in 2014, which continue to highlight child labour in the country, including military conscription, as well as work in hazardous activities such as harvesting and construction. The Committee further notes with concern the Government’s indication in its fourth periodic report to the CRC (CRC/C/ERI/4, paragraph 22) that, because no case of child labour practices had been filed in Eritrean courts, the Government’s efforts to control child labour must have been effective. Observing with deep concern the continuing widespread child labour in Eritrea, including in hazardous activities, the Committee strongly urges the Government to intensify its efforts to implement concrete measures, such as by adopting a national plan of action to abolish child labour once and for all, in cooperation with the employers’ and workers’ organizations concerned, as well as strengthening the capacity of the labour inspection system. The Committee also strongly encourages the Government to seek technical assistance from the ILO.

Article 2(3) and (4). Age of completion of compulsory schooling and minimum age for admission to employment. In previous comments, the Committee noted the Government’s indication that education is compulsory for eight years (five years of elementary school and three years of middle school), meaning that compulsory education would be completed at 14 years of age. Nevertheless, the Committee noted its concern at the low school enrolment rates and the significant number of children who leave school prior to completing primary education.

The Committee notes the measures described in the Government’s report to provide free education to all school children up to the middle school level as well as its policies, in particular the Nomadic Education Policy, to make education inclusive to all children. The Government further indicates that it endeavours to expand secondary school education and bring those schools closer to rural areas. The Committee also notes the 2013–16 UNICEF Country Programme Document for Eritrea (E/ICEF/2013/P/L.1), which highlights certain measures that the Government has undertaken to improve basic education, including the free elementary education and nomadic education projects.

While taking due note of the Government’s efforts, the Committee also notes that, according to the statistical information contained in the draft proposal within the Strategic Partnership Cooperation Framework (SPCF) 2013–16 between the Government and the United Nations system, the net enrolment rate declined from 52.5 per cent in 2005 to 49.6 per cent in 2010, with disparities by location and gender. The Committee further notes the information contained in the Government’s fourth periodic report to the CRC (CRC/C/ER/4, paragraph 301 and table 28), according to which student enrolment at the elementary school level decreased by 9 per cent and female enrolment decreased by 8 per cent in 2009–10. Noting that increasing access to quality basic education is included among the priorities of the SPCF 2013–16, as well as the Eritrea Country Programme with UNICEF, the Committee requests the Government to continue to cooperate with the UN bodies to improve the functioning of, and access to, the education system so as to increase school enrolment rates and reduce school drop-out rates for children at least up to the age of completion of compulsory education, particularly with regard to girl children.

Article 3(2). Determination of the types of hazardous work. The Committee recalls that the Government has been referring to the upcoming adoption of a list of hazardous activities prohibited to young employees under section 69(1) of the Labour Proclamation since 2007. The Committee notes that the Government again repeats this indication but also states that the provisions specified under the current section 69 of the Labour Proclamation are sufficient because they include the list of hazardous activities. The Committee notes, however, that section 69 merely authorizes the minister, by regulation, to issue such a list. Therefore, in lieu of a ministerial regulation, by its own terms, the list contained in section 69 remains hypothetical. The Committee accordingly urges the Government, without delay, to finalize the ministerial regulation issuing the list of hazardous activities prohibited to persons under the age of 18.

Article 9(3). Keeping of registers by employers. The Committee previously noted the Government’s indication that the requirement for employers to maintain a register for persons employed who are under 18 years would be addressed in an upcoming regulation. The Committee notes, however, the Government’s latest indication that the Ministry of Labour and Human Welfare is still undertaking studies to develop this regulation. Noting that the Government has been repeating its aim to adopt implementing legislation since 2007, the Committee urges the Government, without further delay, to take the necessary measures to adopt the regulation concerning the registers kept by employers and to transmit a copy once finalized.

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

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the near future.