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

Work in Fishing Convention, 2007 (No. 188) - Congo (Ratification: 2014)

The Committee notes with deep regret that the Government has failed to submit its first report on the application of the Convention for the fourth consecutive year. The Committee draws the Government’s attention to the fact that if the requested report is not received on time (before 1 September 2022) for examination by the Committee at its next session, it will proceed to review the application of the Convention on the basis of publicly available information. The Committee emphasizes the particular importance of the first report, which provides the basis for the initial assessment of the implementation of the Convention both in law and in practice. The Committee is aware that, where no report has been sent for some time, it is likely that administrative or other problems are at the origin of the difficulties encountered by the Government in fulfilling its constitutional obligations. In such cases, it is important for governments to request technical assistance from the Office and for such assistance to be provided rapidly. The Committee requests the Government to adopt the necessary measures to implement the Convention without delay and to submit the requested first report for its examination at its next session. The Committee reminds the Government that it may avail itself of the technical assistance of the Office.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Committee notes with deep concern the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the protection of fishers’ rights as laid out in the Convention.  In this regard, the Committee refers to the resolution adopted by the Governing Body in its 340th Session (GB.340/Resolution) concerning maritime labour issues and COVID-19 disease, which calls on Member States to take measures to address the adverse impacts of the pandemic on fishers’ rights, and requests the Government to provide information in its next report on any temporary measures adopted in this regard, their duration and their impact on fishers’ rights.

[The Government is asked to reply in full to the present comments in 2022.]