In 2020, Lebanon made minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. During the reporting year, the Internal Security Forces reported conducting two training sessions, one for social violence and child labor and a separate training for junior officers who will be in charge of judicial investigations in regional units. However, children in Lebanon are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in construction and in forced labor in agriculture, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also engage in child labor in the production of potatoes and tobacco. Laws related to forced labor do not meet international standards as there is no legislative provision that provides criminal penalties for forced labor, and debt bondage is not criminally prohibited. Furthermore, the Ministry of Labor’s budget was unable to cover equipment, personnel, and transportation costs to conduct inspections. In addition, labor inspectors do not have the authority to inspect informal workplaces, in which child labor in Lebanon is most prominent, and programs targeting child labor remained insufficient to fully address the extent of the problem.
Children in Lebanon are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in construction and in forced labor in agriculture, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. (1-2) Children also engage in child labor in the production of potatoes and tobacco. (3,4) Table 1 provides key indicators on children’s work and education in Lebanon. Data on key indicators on children's work and education are not available from the sources used in this report.
|
Children |
Age |
Percent |
|---|---|---|
|
Working (% and population) |
5 to 14 |
Unavailable |
|
Attending School (%) |
5 to 14 |
Unavailable |
|
Combining Work and School (%) |
7 to 14 |
Unavailable |
|
Primary Completion Rate (%) |
Unavailable |
Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2017, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2021. (5)
Data were unavailable from International Labor Organization's analysis, 2021. (6)
Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.
|
Sector/Industry |
Activity |
|---|---|
|
Agriculture |
Farming, including the production of potatoes, olives, beans, figs, grapes, eggplants, and cannabis (2-4,7-14) |
|
Production of tobacco† (14-16) |
|
|
Fishing, activities unknown (7) |
|
|
Industry |
Construction,† including carpentry, tiling, and welding† (2-4,7,8,11,15,17) |
|
Working in cement factories† (17,18) |
|
|
Making handicrafts (19,20) |
|
|
Working in aluminum factories (8,21) |
|
|
Working in textile factories (22,23) |
|
|
Services |
Street work,† including begging, street vending, portering, washing cars, scavenging garbage,† and shining shoes (2,4,7,8,11,24-27) |
|
Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles,† and painting† (8,11,19,23,25) |
|
|
Domestic work† (7,8,11,19,28) |
|
|
Cleaning sewage† and collecting waste materials, including scrap metal (11,19) |
|
|
Food service,† including working as waiters (3,8,16) |
|
|
Working in slaughterhouses† and butcheries (19) |
|
|
Working in small shops (3,7,15,16,19,25) |
|
|
Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡ |
Use in illicit activities, including the production and trafficking of drugs, sometimes as a result of human trafficking, and arms dealing (4,25) |
|
Forced begging, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (2,13,24,25) |
|
|
Commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (2,19,23,29,30) |
|
|
Forced labor in agriculture, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (1-4,11,19) |
† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.
Multiple crises have converged on Lebanon that have increased the rate of child labor, including a national economic crisis that began in 2019 and continued to worsen throughout the reporting period, the prolonged presence of Syrian refugees, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which has created new barriers to education and accelerated economic decline. (7,12,20,31) Lebanon has experienced protracted economic and political crises since anti-government protests began in 2019. Shortly after the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020, the Lebanese Government resigned and a caretaker government was still in place at the end of the reporting period. (7) The limited powers of the caretaker government restricted the government's ability to respond to the multiple crises it faced as more than half the country fell below the poverty line. (7) UNICEF reported that the rate of child labor increased from 2.6 percent to 4.4 percent during the reporting period, with agriculture and street work making up most of the increase. (7,32)
UNHCR estimates that there were 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon in 2020 and 88 percent of them are living below the extreme poverty line, making Syrian refugee children vulnerable to exploitation. (33) Child labor is also prevalent in other refugee communities in Lebanon, including the Palestinian and Iraqi communities. (20,34) Syrian refugee children are subjected to forced labor in agriculture. (1-3,19) Some Syrian refugee children and their families in the Bekaa Valley are kept in bonded labor in agriculture to pay for makeshift dwellings provided by landowners.(1,12,35,36) An estimated 75 percent of Syrian refugee children working in the Bekaa Valley do so in agriculture. (37) Adult Syrian refugees face legal restrictions that allow them to work only in agriculture, construction, and sanitation. (19,38) These restrictions on adults make children vulnerable to child labor. (11,39)
Children in Lebanon, particularly Syrian refugee children, face barriers to accessing education, including the cost of transportation and supplies, fear of passing checkpoints or of violence, lack of private sanitation facilities for girls, discrimination, bullying, corporal punishment, and a different curriculum in Lebanon than in their country of origin. (3,4,7,15,16,40) In 2020, the government continued its policy of admitting all refugee children regardless of whether they have the required documentation for school enrollment. (7) However, the public school system in Lebanon lacks the capacity to accommodate the large number of school-age Syrian refugee children. (20) Despite the official policy of schools being open to all, in practice, some refugees have been denied access to schools. (4) Moreover, students without documentation are only eligible to receive a certificate, rather than a diploma, causing some undocumented students to drop out. (4) Before the pandemic, more than 50 percent of Syrian refugee children and 35 percent of Palestinian refugee children were not enrolled in formal education. (25,41,42) Children with disabilities, particularly refugee children, were unable to attend school due to insufficient accessibility or inadequacy of facilities, lack of specialized facilities, or unavailability of tailored services for children with disabilities. (40,43) In addition, the economic crisis has precipitated a movement of Lebanese children from private schools to public schools, putting further strain on an overburdened system. (7) Lebanese and refugee children who work in agriculture often do not attend school during harvesting and planting seasons. (44) One local organization observed a direct correlation between school dropout rates and an increase in child labor. (25)
On March 2, 2020, the government suspended the 2019–2020 academic year due to the pandemic, interrupting the education of more than 1 million children, including 200,000 Syrian refugees. (7) In October and November, schools resumed functioning using a hybrid online and in-class strategy. However, the lack of electricity and Internet continued to prevent some children from accessing remote learning. (7) According to UNICEF, only 35 percent of school-age children had some access to remote learning, and insufficient Internet speeds still prevented one-third of those students from continuing their education remotely. (7,32)
Lebanon has ratified most key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).
|
Convention |
Ratification |
|---|---|
|
ILO C. 138, Minimum Age |
✓ |
|
ILO C. 182, Worst Forms of Child Labor |
✓ |
|
UN CRC |
✓ |
|
UN CRC Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict |
|
|
UN CRC Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography |
✓ |
|
Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons |
✓ |
The government has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist in Lebanon’s legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the prohibition of debt bondage.
|
Standard |
Meets International Standards |
Age |
Legislation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Minimum Age for Work |
No |
14 |
Article 22 of the Labor Code (45) |
|
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work |
Yes |
18 |
Article 1 of Decree No. 8987 (46) |
|
Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children |
Yes |
Annex 1 of Decree No. 8987 (19,46) |
|
|
Prohibition of Forced Labor |
No |
Article 8 of Decree No. 3855; Article 569 of the Penal Code (47,48) |
|
|
Prohibition of Child Trafficking |
Yes |
Articles 586.1 and 586.5 of the Penal Code (48) |
|
|
Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children |
No |
Articles 506, 523, 525–527, 586.1, and 586.5 of the Penal Code; Decree No. 8987(46,48) |
|
|
Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities |
Yes |
Articles 586.1, 586.5, and 618 of the Penal Code; Article 13 of the Law on Drugs (48,49) |
|
|
Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment |
Yes |
18 |
Article 30 of the National Defense Law (50) |
|
Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military |
N/A* |
||
|
Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups |
Yes |
Article 586.1 of the Penal Code; Annex 1 of Decree No. 8987 (46,48) |
|
|
Compulsory Education Age |
Yes |
15‡ |
Article 49 of the Education Law (51) |
|
Free Public Education |
Yes |
Article 49 of the Education Law (51) |
* No conscription (52)
‡ Age calculated based on available information (34)
The Labor Code only applies to workers who perform work in industrial, trading, or agricultural enterprises and excludes domestic work and non-industrial, non-trade agriculture. (45) This does not conform to international standards that require all children to be protected by the minimum age for work.
In Lebanon, basic education is compulsory. (51) Children generally complete basic education at age 15. (34) The minimum age for work is lower than the compulsory education age, which may encourage children to leave school before the completion of compulsory education.
Laws related to forced labor are insufficient because there is no legislative provision that provides criminal penalties for the exaction of forced labor, and debt bondage is not criminally prohibited. (48,53)
The law does not sufficiently prohibit commercial sexual exploitation, as the use of children in the production of pornography is not criminally prohibited. (46,48)
The government has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 5). However, gaps exist within the operations of enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate enforcement of their child labor laws.
|
Organization/Agency |
Role |
|---|---|
|
Ministry of Labor |
Enforces child labor laws through desk review and workplace inspections. Acts as government focal point for child labor issues. (4) The Ministry’s Child Labor Unit raises public awareness about child labor and the right to education. Receives complaints of child labor violations on its Child Labor Unit hotline. (4) |
|
Internal Security Forces |
Enforces laws regarding child labor through the Anti-Human Trafficking and Morals Protection Bureau. (4) |
|
Ministry of Justice |
Prosecutes violations of the Penal Code in coordination with the Internal Security Forces. Maintains general data and statistics on criminal violations involving child labor. (4) Refers at-risk children to shelters and protection services. Coordinates, through signed agreements, with civil society organizations to provide social workers who oversee court proceedings involving juveniles and deliver services to them, including children engaged in begging. (4) |
|
Directorate of General Security |
Focuses on immigration and border protection. Works with the farmers' union to address child labor in agriculture. (4) |
Labor Law Enforcement
In 2020, labor law enforcement agencies in Lebanon took actions to combat child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the authority of the Ministry of Labor (MOL) that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including the authority to assess penalties.
|
Overview of Labor Law Enforcement |
2019 |
2020 |
|---|---|---|
|
Labor Inspectorate Funding |
Unknown (4) |
Unknown (7) |
|
Number of Labor Inspectors |
34 (4) |
34 (54) |
|
Inspectorate Authorized to Assess Penalties |
No (55) |
No (55) |
|
Initial Training for New Labor Inspectors |
Unknown (4) |
Unknown (7) |
|
Training on New Laws Related to Child Labor |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Refresher Courses Provided |
Yes (4) |
Yes (7) |
|
Number of Labor Inspections Conducted |
Unknown (4) |
Unknown (7) |
|
Number Conducted at Worksite |
Unknown (4) |
Unknown (7) |
|
Number of Child Labor Violations Found |
Unknown (4) |
Unknown (7) |
|
Number of Child Labor Violations for Which Penalties Were Imposed |
Unknown (4) |
Unknown(7) |
|
Number of Child Labor Penalties Imposed that Were Collected |
Unknown (4) |
Unknown (7) |
|
Routine Inspections Conducted |
Unknown (4) |
Unknown (7) |
|
Routine Inspections Targeted |
Unknown (4) |
Unknown (7) |
|
Unannounced Inspections Permitted |
Yes (55) |
Yes (55) |
|
Unannounced Inspections Conducted |
Unknown (4) |
Unknown (7) |
|
Complaint Mechanism Exists |
Yes (4) |
Yes (7) |
|
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Labor Authorities and Social Services |
Yes (4) |
Yes (7) |
In 2020, virtually all labor inspections conducted were the result of complaints, which are received through an MOL-operated hotline or the Child Labor Unit webpage. (7) In addition, government officials in the past have expressed frustration that they can only conduct inspections in formal places of employment, in which child labor is nearly non-existent. (4,19,20,56) Government officials indicate that funding is insufficient to properly carry out their duties. However, the MOL reported that a car has been provided for inspectors by the ministry. (54) Research was unable to determine whether this was sufficient to meet inspectors' transportation needs.
Lebanon's public sector hiring freeze, instituted in 2019, remained in effect throughout the reporting period, preventing the MOL from hiring additional inspectors. (54) The number of labor inspectors is likely insufficient for the size of Lebanon’s workforce, which includes more than 2.1 million workers. (4,57) According to the ILO’s technical advice of a ratio approaching 1 inspector for every 15,000 workers in developing economies, Lebanon would employ about 144 labor inspectors. (58,59)
According to local observers, the MOL's hotline is not fully functional and works for a limited number of hours on official workdays. It does not have a system to register incoming calls. (25)
The government does not publicly release information on its labor law enforcement efforts. (19)
Criminal Law Enforcement
In 2020, criminal law enforcement agencies in Lebanon took actions to combat child labor (Table 7). However, gaps exist within the operations of the criminal enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate criminal law enforcement, including the allocation of financial resources.
|
Overview of Criminal Law Enforcement |
2019 |
2020 |
|---|---|---|
|
Initial Training for New Criminal Investigators |
Yes (4) |
Yes (7) |
|
Training on New Laws Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Refresher Courses Provided |
Yes (4) |
Yes (7) |
|
Number of Investigations |
10 (4) |
98 (7) |
|
Number of Violations Found |
8 (4) |
98 (7) |
|
Number of Prosecutions Initiated |
7 (4) |
Unknown (7) |
|
Number of Convictions |
Unknown (4) |
1 (7) |
|
Imposed Penalties for Violations Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor |
Yes (4) |
Yes (7) |
|
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Criminal Authorities and Social Services |
Yes (4) |
Yes (7) |
In 2020, routine training courses were cancelled due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, the Internal Security Forces (ISF) reported conducting two training sessions, one for social violence and child labor and a separate training for junior officers who will be in charge of judicial investigations in regional units. (7)
During the reporting period, the ISF investigated 98 potential trafficking cases involving children. (7) The ISF reported that a man was sentenced to 3 years in prison and fined for attempting to sell his minor son. (7)
Despite these efforts, the ISF’s anti-trafficking unit is reportedly underfunded and understaffed, and it has no field offices outside Beirut. (2) The Ministry of Justice has stated that a lack of sufficient human resources hindered the government’s ability to address child labor. (20)
The government has established mechanisms to coordinate its efforts to address child labor (Table 8). However, gaps exist that hinder the effective coordination of efforts to address child labor, including efficacy in accomplishing mandates.
|
Coordinating Body |
Role & Description |
|---|---|
|
National Steering Committee on Child Labor |
Raises awareness; coordinates efforts among government agencies; establishes standard practices; develops, enforces, and recommends changes; and ensures that government agencies comply with the law. Led by the Minister of Labor, includes representatives from six other ministries and other institutions and international organizations. (20) Sources indicate that the National Steering Committee on Child Labor has not met since 2018. (7) |
|
National Steering Committee on Trafficking in Persons |
Coordinates efforts against human trafficking, including child trafficking. Based at the Ministry of Labor and meets on a monthly basis. (20) Active in 2020. (2) |
|
UNICEF and UNHCR |
Coordinate efforts to address the needs of children affected by the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon. UN representatives identify crucial concerns, including factors that make children vulnerable to child labor. (20) Make recommendations to the government on the use of resources, including referral services. (20) UN agencies and international and local NGOs coordinate child protection efforts through Child Protection Working Groups. (19) Active in 2020. (60,61) |
The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including implementation.
|
Policy |
Description |
|---|---|
|
National Action Plan to End Street Begging by Children |
Seeks to end child begging by ensuring legal protection for street children, building capacity to protect street children, rehabilitating and reintegrating street children, and conducting outreach regarding the problem. (4) Research was unable to determine whether any steps were taken to implement this action plan during the reporting period. |
|
Policy for the Protection of Students in the School Environment |
Protects children's right to education and promotes non-violence in schools by establishing mechanisms to receive complains of violence, mistreatment, and bullying; and addresses those cases while safeguarding children's privacy. Trains school staff and officials on identifying risk factors. (62,63) Research was unable to determine whether any steps were taken to implement this work plan during the reporting period. |
|
Work Plan to Prevent and Respond to the Association of Children with Armed Violence in Lebanon |
Provides the policy framework for the prevention of children's involvement in armed conflict. (64) Research was unable to determine whether any steps were taken to implement this work plan during the reporting period. |
The National Action Plan on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor expired in 2019, and the government did not renew or extend it.
In 2020, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor (Table 10). However, gaps exist in these social programs, including the adequacy of programs to address the full scope of the problem.
|
Program |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Child Protection Program |
Joint program by UNICEF and the Ministry of Social Affairs. Addresses child labor through interventions, including a non-formal education program for children, child protection services, skills development, and social assistance. (4) In 2020, UNICEF estimated that approximately 1,785 children were provided with assistance and case management support. In addition, 6,025 children engaged in child labor received education, social, or child protection assistance. (66) |
|
Reaching All Children with Education (RACE II) (2017–2021) |
Donor-funded, 5 year project, implemented by the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and partners to ensure quality educational opportunities for children ages 3 to 18, regardless of nationality, through holistic interventions that address the demand and availability of quality public education, including non-formal education. (67) Active in 2020. (68) |
|
National Poverty Alleviation Program† |
Funded by the government and foreign donors, this program housed at the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Social Affairs provides WFP food vouchers ($27 per month) for each member of poor families. It also provides school tuition and book costs for secondary school students from 43,000 poor families. (43) Active in 2020. (69) |
† Program is funded by the Government of Lebanon.
Although Lebanon has programs that target child labor, the scope of these programs is insufficient to fully address the extent of the problem, including in construction and forced child labor in agriculture. Moreover, a perceived lack of social services makes some officials reluctant to remove children trafficked by their families. (13)
Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in Lebanon (Table 11).
|
Area |
Suggested Action |
Year(s) Suggested |
|---|---|---|
|
Legal Framework |
Accede to the CRC Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict, which the government signed in 2002. |
2013 – 2020 |
|
Raise the minimum age for work to the age up to which education is compulsory. |
2018 – 2020 |
|
|
Ensure that the minimum age for work applies to all children, including informal workers, domestic workers, and all agricultural workers. |
2019 – 2020 |
|
|
Ensure that the use of a child in commercial sexual exploitation is criminally prohibited. |
2019 – 2020 |
|
|
Ensure that forced labor and debt bondage are criminally prohibited. |
2015 – 2020 |
|
|
Enforcement |
Ensure that there is an adequate mechanism to receive and log child labor complaints and refer them for investigation. |
2017 – 2020 |
|
Track and publish information on labor law enforcement. |
2009 – 2020 |
|
|
Authorize the labor inspectorate to assess penalties. |
2015 – 2020 |
|
|
Provide Ministry of Labor inspectors with proper funding and the necessary transportation. |
2011 – 2020 |
|
|
Increase the number of labor inspectors to meet the ILO's technical advice. |
2016 – 2020 |
|
|
Publish information on criminal enforcement of child labor laws, including the number of prosecutions initiated. |
2009 – 2020 |
|
|
Ensure that criminal law enforcement agencies, including the Internal Security Forces' anti-trafficking unit, have the necessary funding and staff to investigate and prosecute criminal cases of child labor in accordance with the law. |
2017 – 2020 |
|
|
Coordination |
Ensure that the National Steering Committee on Child Labor meets and carries out its duties. |
2019 – 2020 |
|
Government Policies |
Ensure that the Work Plan to Prevent and Respond to the Association of Children with Armed Violence in Lebanon is implemented, and that children previously associated with armed conflict receive social and rehabilitation services. |
2017 – 2020 |
|
Ensure that government policies on child labor are implemented. |
2020 |
|
|
Adopt a new action plan to combat the worst forms of child labor. |
2020 |
|
|
Social Programs |
Collect and publish data on the extent and nature of child labor to inform policies and programs. |
2020 |
|
Ensure access to public education for all children, including refugees, by improving transportation, addressing bullying and harassment, accommodating students with disabilities, and improving facilities. |
2010 – 2020 |
|
|
Expand programs, including social services for human trafficking victims, to fully address the extent of child labor, including in construction and forced labor in agriculture. |
2013 – 2020 |
- Humanitarian organization official. Interview with USDOL official. January 13, 2016.
- U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2020: Lebanon. Washington, DC, June 25, 2020.
- Plan International. Adolescent Girls and Boys Needs Assessment: Focus on Child Labour and Child Marriage. July 18, 2018. https://plan-international.org/publications/girls-and-boys-needs-assessment-lebanon
- U.S. Embassy- Beirut. Reporting. January 16, 2020.
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Accessed March 3, 2021. For more information, please see “Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report. http://data.uis.unesco.org/
- ILO. Analysis of Child Economic Activity and School Attendance Statistics from National Household or Child Labor Surveys. Analysis received March, 2021. For more information, please see “Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
- U.S. Embassy- Beirut. Reporting. January 26, 2021.
- Freedom Fund. Struggling to survive: Slavery and exploitation of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. April 6, 2016.
http://freedomfund.org/wp-content/uploads/Lebanon-Report-FINAL-8April16.pdf - Weber, Jeremy. Grapes of Wrath: In Lebanon’s Napa Valley, Syrian Refugees Face a Steinbeck Scenario. September 2016. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2016/september/grapes-of-wrath-syrian-refugees-lebanon-bekaa-valley.html
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Child labour in agriculture is on the rise, driven by conflict and disasters. Rome, June 12, 2018. http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/1140078/icode/
- Sherriff, Lucy and Dawn Kelly. The Necessary Evil Of Syrian Child Labour In Lebanon. May 5, 2017.
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/the-necessary-evil-of-syrian-child-labour-in-lebanon_uk_590c80c7e4b0d5d9049bbec3?guccounter=2 - Cochrane, Paul. Refugee crisis: Child Labour in agriculture on the rise in Lebanon. July 12, 2016.
http://www.ilo.org/beirut/media-centre/fs/WCMS_496725/lang--en/index.htm - U.S. Embassy- Beirut. Reporting. February 12, 2021.
- UNICEF. Child Labour in Agriculture: The Demand Side. February, 2019.
https://www.unicef.org/lebanon/reports/child-labour-agriculture-demand-side - Human Rights Watch. "Growing Up Without an Education" Barriers to Education for Syrian Refugee Children in Lebanon. July 2016. https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/lebanon0716web_1.pdf
- Terre des Hommes. Child Labour Report 2016: Child Labour among Refugees of the Syrian Conflict. June 2016.
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/TDH-Child_Labour_Report-2016-ENGLISH_FINAL_0.pdf - Newton, Jennifer. The child refugees forced to rise at 3am to carry out back-breaking work after leaving Syria: Boys as young as eight who become 'the man of the family' after fleeing war. June 7, 2016.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3629020/The-child-refugees-forced-rise-3am-carry-breaking-work-leaving-Syria-Boys-young-eight-man-family-fleeing-war.html - UNICEF Lebanon. Mohamad, 15 - #ImagineaSchool. November 14, 2016.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmrq4TgfGBA - U.S. Embassy- Beirut. Reporting. January 17, 2019.
- U.S. Embassy- Beirut. Reporting. January 19, 2018.
- Khoury, Lisa. Special report: 180,000 young Syrian refugees are being forced into child labor in Lebanon. July 26, 2017. https://www.vox.com/world/2017/7/24/15991466/syria-refugees-child-labor-lebanon
- Giammarinaro, Maria Grazia. Report of the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on trafficking in persons, especially women and children. UN General Assembly, August 5, 2016: A/71/303.
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/N1625078.pdf - Human Rights Watch. "I Just Wanted to be Treated Like a Person" - How Lebanon's Residency Rules Facilitate Abuse of Syrian Refugees. January 2016.
https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/report_pdf/lebanon0116web.pdf - U.S. Embassy- Beirut. Reporting. February 21, 2020.
- Alef official. Interview with USDOL official. January 9, 2018.
- Chehayeb, Kareem. As Beirut’s Trash Crisis Drags on, Children Recycle to Survive. November 1, 2018.
https://www.citylab.com/environment/2018/11/beirut-trash-refugee-children-recycle/574312/ - Kanso, Heba. Poverty forces Syrian refugee children into work. June 12, 2018.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lebanon-child-labour/poverty-forces-syrian-refugee-children-into-work-idUSKBN1J82CY - UNICEF Lebanon. Israa, 11. May 18, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnSWOEy-QRo
- ILO. Country Level Engagement and Assistance to Reduce Child Labor (CLEAR) - Technical Progress Report. October 2018. Source on file.
- Raymond, Janice G. Pity the Nations: Women Refugees in Lebanon. December 6, 2017.
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/pity-nations-female-refugees-lebanon/ - ILO. ILO and Ministry of Labour launch tools to boost fight against child labour in Lebanon. January 15, 2016.
http://www.ilo.org/beirut/media-centre/news/WCMS_443535/lang--en/index.htm - UNICEF. Nine out of ten Syrian refugee families in Lebanon are now living in extreme poverty, UN study says. December 18, 2020.
https://www.unicef.org/lebanon/press-releases/nine-out-ten-syrian-refugee-families-lebanon-are-now-living-extreme-poverty-un-study - UNHCR. 2021 Planning Summary Operation: Lebanon. December 29, 2020.
https://reporting.unhcr.org/sites/default/files/pdfsummaries/GA2021-Lebanon-eng.pdf - U.S. Embassy- Beirut. Reporting. February 4, 2016.
- U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2018: Lebanon. Washington, DC, June 28, 2018.
https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-trafficking-in-persons-report/lebanon/ - U.S. Embassy- Beirut. Reporting. February 9, 2017.
- Habib, Rima R. Survey on Child Labour in Agriculture in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon: The Case of Syrian Refugees. American University of Beirut, June, 2019.
https://www.unicef.org/lebanon/reports/survey-child-labour-agriculture - CARE. Syrian Refugees in Lebanon Eight Years On: What Works and Why that Matters for the Future November 12, 2018. https://www.care-international.org/files/files/CAREInternationalLebanon_RefugeesinLebanon_Whatworksandwhythatmattersforthefuture.pdf
- World Vision. Impact of Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance on Child Labour among Syrian Refugee Children in Bekaa, Lebanon. November 28, 2018. https://www.wvi.org/lebanon/publication/impact-multi-purpose-cash-assistance-child-labour-among-syrian-refugee-children
- Human Rights Watch. Submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child in advance of its review of Lebanon. March 24, 2017.
http://tbinternet.ohchr.org/Treaties/CRC/Shared Documents/LBN/INT_CRC_NGO_LBN_27105_E.pdf - Human Rights Watch. Lebanon: Stalled Effort to Get Syrian Children in School. December 13, 2018.
https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/12/13/lebanon-stalled-effort-get-syrian-children-school - American Institutes for Research. Evaluation of No Lost Generation/“Min Ila,” a UNICEF and WFP Cash Transfer Program for Displaced Syrian Children in Lebanon. June 2018.
https://www.air.org/sites/default/files/downloads/report/Evaluation-of-No-Lost-Generation-Min-Ila-Final-Report-July-2018.pdf - U.S. Embassy- Beirut official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. June 18, 2020.
- Government of Lebanon. National Action Plan to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Lebanon by 2016. 2013: Executive Summary. http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---arabstates/---ro-beirut/documents/genericdocument/wcms_229115.pdf
- Government of Lebanon. Labor Code (as amended). Enacted: September 23, 1946.
http://ahdath.justice.gov.lb/law-nearby-work.htm - Government of Lebanon. Decree No. 8987 of 2012 concerning the prohibition of employment of minors under the age of 18 in works that may harm their health, safety or morals. Enacted: October 4, 2012.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex_browse.details?p_lang=en&p_country=LBN&p_classification=04&p_origin=SUBJECT&p_whatsnew=201304 - Government of Lebanon. Decree No. 3855 on Lebanon's accession to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Enacted: September 1, 1972. Source on file.
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- Government of Lebanon. Law No. 150 on Terms of appointment in the Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Enacted: August 17, 2011.
https://site.eastlaws.com/GeneralSearch/Home/ArticlesTDetails?MasterID=1637110&related - Government of Lebanon. Law No. 665. Enacted: February 4, 2005. http://www.lebarmy.gov.lb/en/content/military-service
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http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID:3251395 - U.S. Embassy- Beirut. Reporting. February 12, 2021.
- Government of Lebanon. Decree No. 3273 on Labour Inspection. Enacted: 2000.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/SERIAL/58763/45932/F1688904235/LBN58763.PDF - U.S. Embassy- Beirut official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. June 1, 2018.
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http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/gb/docs/gb297/pdf/esp-3.pdf - UN. World Economic Situation and Prospects 2017 Statistical Annex. New York, 2017. Please see “Labor Law Enforcement: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/publication/2017wesp_full_en.pdf - UNHCR. UN High Commissioner for Refugees affirms immediate support to 100,000 individuals affected by devastating Beirut blast and additional funding for COVID-19 response. August 20, 2020.
https://www.unhcr.org/lb/13345-un-high-commissioner-for-refugees-affirms-immediate-support-to-100000-individuals-affected-by-devastating-beirut-blast-and-additional-funding-for-covid-19-response.html - UNICEF. UNICEF provides cash support to over 70,000 vulnerable children to address the economic crisis. December 15, 2020. https://www.unicef.org/lebanon/press-releases/unicef-provides-cash-support-over-70000-vulnerable-children-address-economic-crisis
- UNICEF. Syria Crisis 2018 Humanitarian Results. Year End Report. December 31, 2018.
https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNICEF Syria Crisis Situation Report_Year End 2018.pdf - Trtrian, Gasia. Education Ministry policy combats violence in schools. May 12, 2018.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2018/May-12/449078-education-ministry-policy-combats-violence-in-schools.ashx - UN Security Council. Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict. April 20, 2016: A/70/836–S/2016/360. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=s/2016/360
- National Steering Committee on Child Labor, the Ministry of Labor, and the ILO. National Awareness Raising Strategy on the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Lebanon. 2016.
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---arabstates/---ro-beirut/documents/publication/wcms_443268.pdf - U.S. Embassy- Beirut official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. April 30, 2021.
- Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Reaching All Children with Education: RACE II (2017-2021). August 2016. Source on file.
- Reaching All Children with Education. Expenditures 2019-2020. Accessed February, 2021.
http://www.racepmulebanon.com/index.php/scholastic-year/scholastic-year-2019-2020/expenditures-2019-2020 - The World Bank. Emergency National Poverty Targeting Program Project. Accessed February, 2021.
https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P149242
