Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2021, published 110th ILC session (2022)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Sierra Leone (Ratification: 1961)
Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 - Sierra Leone (Ratification: 2021)

Articles 1(1), 2(1) and 25 of the Convention. Trafficking in persons. The Committee notes that according to section 2(1) of the Anti-Human Trafficking Act of 2005, it is an offence for any person to engage in the trafficking in persons both for labour and sexual exploitation. According to section 2(2) of the Act, the term “exploitation” includes: keeping a person in a state of slavery; compelling or causing a person to provide forced labour or services; keeping a person in servitude, including sexual servitude; exploitation of the prostitution of another; engaging in any form of commercial sexual exploitation, and for exploitation during armed conflicts. Section 22 of the Anti-Human Trafficking Act stipulates that any person convicted of the offences related to trafficking in persons shall be liable to a fine or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or to both. Sections 3 and 4 of the Act provide for the establishment of a National Task Force on Human Trafficking which shall be responsible for receiving and investigating reports of trafficking in persons; coordinating the rendering of assistance to victims; initiating awareness raising measures to educate the public and potential victims on the causes and consequences of trafficking; and cooperating with other governments in the investigation and prosecution of cases of trafficking in persons. Furthermore, according to section 9 of the Act, the activities of the Task Force shall be financed by a fund.

The Committee notes from a report of 2020 of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) that the Sierra Leone High Court has for the first time convicted people accused of human trafficking, sentencing two women to 20 years and eight years respectively on 11 February 2020. According to this report each year, thousands of Sierra Leoneans, including children, are trafficked for forced labour or sexual exploitation in and outside of Sierra Leone. Furthermore, since October 2018, the IOM has supported the country’s National Task Force on Human Trafficking to strengthen the identification and screening of victims of trafficking, and increase their access to protection services and justice. The IOM has further supported the training of 103 government officials in investigating and prosecuting cases of human trafficking and worked on awareness-raising efforts with 116 civil society and media organizations. The Committee requests the Government to continue its efforts to combat trafficking in persons, including through strengthening the capacities of the law enforcement bodies in identifying, investigating and prosecuting cases of trafficking in persons. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this regard as well as on the application in practice of sections 2(1) and 22 of the Anti-Human Trafficking Act, supplying information on the number of investigations carried out, convictions and penalties imposed. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the activities undertaken by the National Task Force on Human Trafficking, as well as on the resources allocated to undertake its tasks as provided for under sections 4 and 9 of the Anti-Human Trafficking Act. The Committee lastly requests the Government to provide information on the protection and assistance measures taken or envisaged for victims of trafficking and on the number of victims who are benefiting from such measures.