Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1997, published 86th ILC session (1998)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Solomon Islands (Ratification: 1985)

1. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in reply to its earlier comments. It notes, in particular, the Government's statement that sections 74 and 75 of the Labour Ordinance (1960) relating to forced labour have been repealed by the Employment Act of 1981. The Committee therefore requests the Government to indicate whether any other legislative provisions have been adopted since that time to replace the above-mentioned section 75, which made the exaction of forced labour punishable as an offence, and, if not, how effect is given or is proposed to be given to Article 25 of the Convention concerning penalties to be imposed for the illegal exaction of forced or compulsory labour.

2. In its earlier comments, the Committee noted that section 6 of the Constitution of the Solomon Islands provides for protection from slavery and forced labour (paragraphs (1) and (2)) and lays down exclusions from the expression "forced labour" (paragraph (3)). On many occasions it requested the Government to supply information, including copies of relevant statutory instruments or administrative rules or regulations, on: (a) any circumstances in which labour may be exacted, in the absence of a sentence, by virtue of the order of a court; (b) (i) any labour of a non-military nature which may be required of members of a disciplined force performing compulsory national service (other than conscientious objectors); (ii) the duration of engagement and conditions of resignation of career members of the disciplined forces and other public servants; (iii) any schemes providing for an obligation to serve for a definite period in return for education or training received; (c) any labour which may be required as minor communal services to be considered as part of reasonable and normal "other civil obligations".

The Committee observes that the Government's report contains no new information on these issues. It therefore expresses the hope that the Government will not fail to supply the information requested in its next report.