Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2019, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Social Policy (Basic Aims and Standards) Convention, 1962 (No. 117) - Costa Rica (Ratification: 1966)

The Committee notes the observations of the Costa Rican Confederation of Democratic Workers (CCTD), transmitted by the Government in its report. The Committee also notes the Government’s replies to the observations.

Parts I and II of the Convention. Improvement of standards of living. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government on the impact of the measures adopted with a view to the achievement of the objectives of the Convention within the framework of the National Development Plan (PND) 2015–18. The objectives of the Plan include: promoting economic growth, generating quality employment, combating poverty and reducing inequality. In this regard, the Government indicates that, according to the statistical data of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), in 2017 the economy of Costa Rica grew by a little over 3.2 per cent, compared to global economic growth of 3.7 per cent. Social investment amounted to 22.7 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2014, rising to 23.3 per cent in 2016. The Government indicates that, according to the National Household Survey (ENAHO), between 2013 and 2017 the unemployment rate fell by 1.1 per cent and the informal employment rate decreased from 44 per cent to 41 per cent. In terms of target population groups, the youth unemployment rate between 15 and 17 years of age also fell from 26 per cent in 2013 to 23.2 per cent in 2017, and the youth unemployment rate for young persons between 18 and 25 years of age also fell from 19.8 per cent in 2013 to 17.8 per cent in 2017. Over the same period, the unemployment rate for poor households fell by 2.4 per cent and the unemployment rate for women fell by 1.5 per cent. With regard to access to health and housing, the health system maintained broad coverage with 86 per cent of the population being covered by insurance schemes, and the housing shortage (the shortage of new houses) fell from 15.8 per cent in 2013 to 14.9 per cent in 2017. The Government also refers to various indicators showing improvements in the living standards of the population, including the increase in school attendance rates in primary and secondary education, and life expectancy, as well as the reduction in infant mortality rates. With a view to achieving the PND objective for poverty reduction, the National Poverty Reduction Strategy of the Solís Rivera Administration (2015–18) was implemented under the title of the “Bridge to Development”. intended to ensure preferential access to social programmes for 54,600 families living in extreme poverty. The Government adds that, as a result of the Strategy, extreme poverty decreased from 6.7 per cent in 2014 to 5.7 per cent in 2017, while the non-extreme poverty rate fell from 15.7 per cent to 14.3 per cent. The inequality rate fell slightly from 0.512 in 2014 to 0.514 in 2017 due to the increase in income from work and in household income through state transfers, subsidies and grants. Nevertheless the Committee notes that, in its concluding observations of 21 October 2016, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESC) expressed concern at the fact that the measures taken to combat poverty have not been sufficiently effective in reducing the levels of poverty and extreme poverty in recent years, or in tackling the rising levels of inequality that affect the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups (E/C.12/CRI/CO/5, paragraph 39). The Government also reports the conclusion on 9 September 2016 of the National Pact for the Achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Committee further notes the adoption in December 2018 of the Bicentennial National Development and Public Investment Plan 2019–22, which includes among its targets reducing multidimensional poverty by between 2.3 and 2.7 percentage points and maintaining the growth of the inequality index at 0.511 of the Gini coefficient. However, in its observations, the CCTD indicates that the information provided by the Government does not represent the current situation in the country. The CCTD indicates that the population has grown poorer, health has deteriorated, the social gap has grown and unemployment has risen. The Committee therefore requests the Government to provide detailed and updated information, including statistics disaggregated by sex and age, on the results achieved by the Bicentennial National Development and Public Investment Plan 2019–22, and any measures intended to ensure the improvement of the living standards of the population of Costa Rica (Article 2), particularly with regard to vulnerable groups.

Article 4. Agricultural producers. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the improvement in the various indicators relating to economic growth in the agricultural and livestock sector. In this regard, the Government indicates that, despite the impact of natural phenomena at the national level, agricultural production rose by 2.7 per cent in 2017. The Government also reports the implementation between 2015 and 2018 of 15 new projects with a view to improving the standards of living of families in rural areas, including measures relating to the acquisition of land, infrastructure, rural credit and food security. The Government adds that 477,327 families benefited from these projects. With regard to the reduction of rural poverty, the Government reports that 24.1 per cent of rural households were reported to be in a situation of poverty in 2017, thereby meeting the target of 25 per cent envisaged by the PND. The Government also refers to the implementation of various financial projects to assist producers in regions affected by climate-related factors. The Government adds that, as a result of the implementation of these programmes, between 2016 and 2017 there was an increase of 2.8 per cent in average household income in rural areas and of 7.2 per cent in the number of jobs in the rural sector. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing detailed and updated information on the measures adopted to increase production capacity and improve the standards of living of agricultural producers, and their results.

Part III. Migrant workers. The Committee notes the initiatives implemented within the framework of the Comprehensive Migration Policy for Costa Rica (2013–23) with a view to the protection of migrant workers. In particular, the Government refers to the adoption of measures to simplify migration procedures for indigenous migrants, such as the implementation of the “Migramóvil” programme by the General Directorate of Migration and Foreign Nationals in the Los Santos area, through which guidance was provided and applications were processed for the regularization of the situation of migrants from the Ngäbe indigenous community. Capacity-building was also provided to public officials in the Los Santos area on the rights of migrants, with particular emphasis on indigenous people. The Committee also refers to its 2015 direct request on the application of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169), in which it noted the measures adopted with a view to improving cooperation between the Government and Panama in relation to the migration of the Ngäbe and Buglé indigenous communities. Finally, the Committee refers its 2018 direct request on the application of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), in which it noted the observations of the Confederation of Workers Rerum Novarum (CTRN) concerning violations of the rights of certain workers engaged in banana and pineapple plantations, particularly with regard to working time, working conditions, social protection and trade union rights. In this regard, the CTRN indicated that the most vulnerable workers are seasonal migrant workers. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed and updated information on the measures adopted or envisaged with a view to guaranteeing the working conditions of migrant workers required to live away from their homes, taking into account their normal family needs (Article 6). In particular, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of these measures in relation to workers engaged in banana and pineapple plantations, and workers from the Ngäbe and Buglé indigenous communities. The Committee also requests the Government to provide statistical data, disaggregated by sex and age, on the number of migrant workers required to live away from their homes. It further requests the Government to provide updated and detailed information on the impact of cooperation in relation to labour migration between the authorities of the Government of Panama in relation to migrants from the Ngäbe and Buglé indigenous communities (Article 8).