Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2018, published 108th ILC session (2019)

Social Policy (Basic Aims and Standards) Convention, 1962 (No. 117) - Central African Republic (Ratification: 1964)

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. General principles. Improvement of standards of living. In reply to the Committee’s previous comments, the Government indicates that the Convention is only partially applied, as certain regions of the country are still occupied by armed men, which makes it difficult to carry out certain activities for vulnerable populations for reasons of security. In this context, it specifies that the recurrent crises which have affected the country since 2013 have led it to review its social policy with a view to targeting the urgent needs of the population. Accordingly, the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper 2011–15 (PRSP2) was revised and replaced firstly by the Emergency Programme for Sustainable Recovery 2016–17, and then by the National Recovery and Peacebuilding Plan for the Central African Republic (RCPCA) 2017–21, which was submitted and validated by donors in Brussels on 17 November 2016. The Government indicates that the second pillar of the RCPCA takes into account a broad range of problems related to economic and social development through the identification and assessment of the urgent needs of all categories of the population in relation to health, education, water and sanitation for social welfare. Pillar Two of the RCPCA, entitled “Renew the social contract between the State and the population”, has the objective of restoring and improving infrastructure and establishing the required capacity to provide quality social and administrative services throughout the country. This pillar includes measures to ensure food security, reinforce macroeconomic stability and good governance. Pillar Three provides for economic recovery and growth in productive sectors with a view to creating employment opportunities for all categories of the population. The paper shows that the State has lost control of a large part of its territory, and that armed groups are broken down into innumerable uncontrolled rebel factions, with a multiplication of criminal activity. In this context, poverty is endemic and the majority of the population does not have access to basic services. As a result, 2 million inhabitants are exposed to food insecurity and 838,000 persons, or almost one fifth of the population, are still displaced. The Committee also notes that the unemployment rate is very high among youth, and that women are profoundly affected by the conflict, poverty, violations of human rights and the lack of economic opportunities. In rural areas, the poverty rate is as high as 81 per cent for women, compared with 69 per cent for men. The Committee also notes that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, in its concluding observations of 24 July 2014, expressed concern at the economic situation, which continues to deteriorate owing to the conflict, and has a negative impact on the employment opportunities of women and, consequently, on their enjoyment of their economic and social rights (CEDAW/C/CAF/CO/1-5, paragraph 37). The Government places emphasis on problems related to migration movements, which are essentially due to poverty and conflict in the Central African subregion. It indicates that, to attenuate this situation, it is implementing socio-economic reintegration and voluntary repatriation programmes with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the National Refugee Commission and the International Organization for Migration. By way of illustration, the Government refers to the Programme for Demobilization, Disarmament, Reintegration and Repatriation. It adds that an urbanism plan is being implemented by the Urban Development and Equipment Fund. The Government adds that, in the context of the labour-intensive works approach that it has implemented, the Lôndo project and other United Nations agencies have made an enormous contribution to the urbanization programme, which includes the rehabilitation of road networks and the construction of rural tracks. With regard to the improvement of living conditions in rural areas, the Government indicates that it has established a decentralization project through the implementation of certain employment creation projects, such as the solar field project in the country, as well as the exploitation of oil and mining. It adds that, through the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Vocational Training and Social Protection, and with ILO support, it organized a workshop on the establishment of a health insurance system. The Committee notes that the general objective of the workshop was to inform the participants on the process and to achieve agreement on the guiding principles for the establishment of a health insurance system. The Government adds that it has unblocked and has been proceeding with the regular payment of the salaries of public officials since 2009. Furthermore, three months of wage arrears were paid in staggered payments to State officials and employees in 2013 with the support of the Government’s technical and financial partners. It adds that the debts of cotton growers, which had accumulated for several years, have also been paid. However, the Government notes that the debts of previous governments have been evaluated and submitted to the technical and financial partners for the back payment of wage arrears from the 1990s. It adds that a Bill on agricultural property is under examination by the National Assembly. The Government specifies that, with the support of technical and financial partners, it is in the process of reforming and relaunching the Chamber of Agriculture so that it can guide and support agricultural cooperatives. While recognizing the complexity of the situation in the country, the Committee requests the Government to continue providing updated information on the manner in which the implementation of the RCPCA has made it possible to pursue the objectives of the Convention which, in Articles 1 and 2, provides that “All policies shall be primarily directed to the well-being and development of the population”, particularly with regard to vulnerable groups, such as women, young persons, children and persons with disabilities. It also requests the Government to provide information on the outcome of the workshop organized with ILO support. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any developments in the adoption of the Bill on agricultural property and to provide a copy once it has been adopted.

Article 12. Remuneration of workers. The Government indicates that, in practice, certain workers governed by the Labour Code, and in agreement with their employers, benefit from advances on wages, the repayment of which is staggered over several months, depending on the amount agreed by the parties. However, it adds that the Committee responsible for drawing up the texts to give effect to the Labour Code has taken up this work once again and will propose an order for this purpose. The Committee recalls that, as indicated in its previous comments, under the terms of Article 12 of the Convention, the maximum amounts and manner of repayment of advances on wages shall be regulated by the competent authority. The Committee hopes that the Government will be in a position to indicate in its next report the provisions of ministerial orders which regulate the maximum amounts and manner of repayment of advances on wages, in accordance with Article 12(2) and (3). It also requests the Government to provide information on any developments relating to the Order on the repayment of advances on wages and to provide a copy once it has been adopted.