Observation (CEACR) - adopted 1999, published 88th ILC session (2000)

Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) - Syrian Arab Republic (Ratification: 1958)

The Committee notes that no report has been received from the Government. It must therefore repeat its previous observation on the following matters:

Article 1(a), (c) and (d) of the Convention. In its earlier comments the Committee referred to certain provisions of the Economic Penal Code, the Penal Code, the Agricultural Labour Code and the Press Act, under which prison sentences involving compulsory labour can be imposed as a means of political coercion or as punishment for expressing views opposed to the established political system, breach of labour discipline or participation in strikes. For a number of years the Government has been indicating that a draft legislative decree amending various sections of the Penal Code so as to eliminate all obligation to perform prison labour was being examined by the competent authorities, and in 1995 it was approved by the Council of Ministers and submitted to the Ministry for the Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic. However, in its reports received in 1997 the Government indicated that the Ministry of Justice is still considering the amendment of the Penal Code and has referred the matter to the committee responsible for the amendment of the Code. The Committee trusts that the legislative decree referred to by the Government will be adopted in the near future and asks the Government to provide, in its next report, information on the progress made in this regard. It also hopes the Government will pursue its consultations with the International Labour Office regarding the amendment of the agricultural labour legislation and the various texts mentioned above, with a view to ensuring compliance with the Convention.

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