Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2023, published 112nd ILC session (2024)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Liberia (Ratification: 2003)

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Articles 3, 5 and 7 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour, monitoring mechanisms and penalties. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. Sale and trafficking of children. The Committee notes the Government’s indication, in its report, that it is preparing a comprehensive report on the achievements reached in combatting trafficking in persons. Noting that the Government does not reply to its previous comments specifically regarding the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age, the Committee once again requests the Government to: (i) take the necessary measures to ensure the effective implementation of the Act to Ban Trafficking in Persons (2005), in particular to ensure that perpetrators of trafficking of children are subject to thorough investigations and prosecutions; (ii) continue its efforts to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies in identifying and combating the sale and trafficking of children under 18 years of age; (iii) provide information on the measures taken in this regard as well as information on the number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties imposed; and (iv) provide data on the victims under 18 years of age identified, disaggregated by gender, age and nationality.

Article 6. Programmes of action.National Action Plan against Trafficking of Human Beings. The Committee notes with interest the Government’s indication that it has adopted the Second National Action Plan (NAP) on Trafficking in Persons 2019–24. The Government adds that it will conduct a report on the activities undertaken in the framework of the NAP, which will inform the determination of a baseline for the Third National Action Plan on Trafficking in Persons. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken, within the framework of the NAP on Trafficking in Persons 2019–24 to combat trafficking in children, and the results achieved. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the assessment of the NAP and to indicate how this evaluation will inform future action plans.

National Action Plan for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. The Committee notes with interest the Government’s indication that it has adopted the National Action Plan on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour 2020–30. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in the framework of the National Action Plan on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour and the results achieved.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk. Child orphans of armed conflict, HIV/AIDS and Ebola. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it continues to have a free and compulsory primary education policy for all children, including child orphans. The Government explains that present budgetary constraints prevent the provision of vocational education in public schools in every political subdivision, but that there are public schools providing vocational training in Montserrado, Margibi and Lofa, which together had over 50 per cent of the child orphans due to Ebola. The Committee notes that according to the UNAIDS estimates of 2022, there are around 31,000 children aged 0 to 17 years who are orphans due to HIV/AIDS. Recalling that orphans are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the effective and time-bound measures taken or envisaged to ensure their protection from the worst forms of child labour, including by increasing their access to education and vocational training, and on the results achieved.