Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2020, published 109th ILC session (2021)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Lebanon (Ratification: 2001)

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

Repetition

Articles 3, 7(1) and (2)(b) of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour, penalties and direct assistance for rehabilitation and social integration. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. Trafficking. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the adoption of the Anti-Trafficking Act No. 164 (2011). The Committee requested the Government to provide information on the application of this Act, in practice.

The Committee notes the statistical information related to trafficking of children provided by the Government in its report. It notes that in 2014, five child victims of trafficking for labour exploitation (street begging), and one child victim of trafficking for sexual exploitation, were identified. According to the Government’s indication, all the child victims identified were referred to social and rehabilitation centres, such as the “Beit al Aman” shelter in collaboration with Caritas. The Government also indicates that in 2014 the Higher Council for Childhood drafted a sectorial Action Plan on Trafficking of Children that is still under consultations with the relevant stakeholders.

The Committee also notes that in its 2015 concluding observations, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) recommended the Government to provide mandatory gender-sensitive capacity-building for judges, prosecutors, the border police, the immigration authorities and other law enforcement officials to ensure the strict enforcement of Act No. 164 to combat trafficking by promptly prosecuting all cases of trafficking in women and girls (CEDAW/C/LBN/CO/4-5, paragraph 30(a)). The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the draft sectorial Action Plan on Trafficking of Children is adopted in the near future, and to provide information on any progress made in this regard. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide information on the application in practice of Act No. 164 of 2011, including statistical information on the number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penal sanctions applied for the offence of trafficking of children. Lastly, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on any measures adopted in order to prevent trafficking of children as well as measures taken to ensure that child victims of trafficking are provided with appropriate rehabilitation and reintegration services.

Clauses (b) and (c). Use, procuring or offering of a child for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances and for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that under section 33(b) and (c) of the draft amendments to the Labour Code, the use, procuring or offering of a child for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances and for illicit activities is punishable under the Penal Code, in addition to the penalties imposed by the Labour Code. It also noted that section 3 of Annex No. 1 of Decree No. 8987 of 2012 on hazardous work prohibits such illicit activities for minors under the age of 18. The Committee noted the statistical information (disaggregated by gender and age) provided by the Government on the number of children found engaged in prostitution from 2010 to 2012.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the labour inspectorate is the body responsible for the supervision of the implementation of Decree No. 8987. The Committee notes with concern that according to the Government’s indication no cases related to the application of the Decree have been detected so far. The Committee urges the Government to take immediate and effective measures to ensure the application in practice of the provisions of Decree No. 8987 of 2012 prohibiting the engagement of children for prostitution or pornographic purposes or for illicit activities. The Committee requests the Government to provide statistical information on any prosecutions and convictions made with regard to the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances.

As for the draft amendments to the Labour Code, the Committee once again requests the Government to take the necessary measures without delay to ensure the adoption of the provisions prohibiting the use, procuring or offering of persons under the age of 18 for the production of pornography or for pornographic performances, and the use, procuring or offering of persons under the age of 18 for illicit activities, as well as of the provisions providing for the penalties imposed.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. 1. Refugee children. In its previous comments, the Committee requested the Government to provide information on the measures taken within the work programme of the National plan of action on the elimination of child labour (NAP–WFCL) for working Palestinian children to protect them from the worst forms of child labour.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that no new measures have been taken due to the political and security situation in the country. The Committee also notes that according to the 2016 United Nations High Commissioner Job Refugees (UNHCR) report entitled “Missing out: Refugee Education in Crisis”, there are more than 380,000 refugee children between the ages of 5 and 17 registered in Lebanon. It is estimated that less than 50 per cent of primary school-age children have access to public primary schools and less than 4 per cent of young persons have access to public secondary schools. The report highlights that since 2013 the Government has introduced a two-shift system in public schools to encourage the enrolment of refugee children. About 150,000 children have entered this system. It also notes from the ILO report entitled “ILO response to the Syrian Refugee crisis in Jordan and Lebanon”, of March 2014, that many refugee children are working in hazardous conditions in the agricultural and urban informal sector, street peddling or begging. While acknowledging the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to take effective and time-bound measures to protect refugee children (in particular Syrian and Palestinian) from the worst forms of child labour and to provide the necessary and appropriate direct assistance for their removal and for their rehabilitation and social integration. It requests the Government to provide information on the number of refugee children who have benefited from any initiatives taken in this regard, to the extent possible disaggregated by age, gender and country of origin.

2. Children in street situations. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the Ministry of Social Affairs has taken a series of measures to address the situation of street children, including: (i) undertaking activities to raise awareness through education, media and advertisement campaigns; (ii) training of a certain number of social protection actors/players working in child protection institutions; (iii) providing rehabilitation activities for a certain number of street children and their reintegration in their families; (iv) within the framework of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (2011–13) 36,575 families have been chosen to benefit from free basic social services, such as access to free compulsory public education as well as medical facilities. The Government also indicates that the 2010 draft “Strategy for Protection, Rehabilitation and Integration of Street Children” has not been implemented yet, but is in the process of being revised.

The Committee notes the 2015 study “Children Living and Working on the Streets in Lebanon: Profile and Magnitude” (ILO–UNICEF–Save the Children International) which provides detailed statistical information on the phenomenon of street-based children across 18 districts of Lebanon. The Committee also notes that the report comprises a certain number of recommendations, including: (i) enforcing relevant legislation; (ii) reintegrating street-based children into education and providing basic services; and (iii) intervening at the household-level to conduct prevention activities. The Committee further observes that despite street work being one of the most hazardous forms of child labour under Decree No. 8987 on hazardous forms of child labour (2012), it is still prevalent with a total of 1,510 children found to be living or working on the streets. Moreover, the Committee notes that in its 2016 concluding observations, the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recommended that the Government raise resources so as to provide the necessary preventive and rehabilitative services to street children and enforce existing legislation aimed at combating child labour (E/C.12/LBN/CO/2, paragraph 45). Recalling that street children are particularly vulnerable to the worst forms of child labour, the Committee urges the Government to strengthen its efforts to protect these children, and to provide for their rehabilitation and social reintegration. The Committee also urges the Government to take the necessary measures to actively implement the 2010 draft strategy entitled “Strategy for Protection, Rehabilitation and Integration of Street Children”, once revised and report on the results achieved. Finally, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the number of street children who have been provided with educational opportunities and social integration services.

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

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