In 2019, South Sudan is receiving an assessment of no advancement. Despite initiatives to address child labor, South Sudan is receiving an assessment of no advancement because it demonstrated a practice of being complicit in the use of forced child labor in more than isolated incidents. State forces continued to recruit children, sometimes forcibly, to fight opposition groups. Otherwise, the government made efforts by signing a UN comprehensive action plan to end grave violations against children, and integrating a unit on child protection issues into the army's 2019 civic education curriculum. Children in South Sudan engage in the worst forms of child labor, including in armed conflict and cattle herding. The government did not hold perpetrators of child labor accountable and has yet to ratify the Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons. In addition, police continued to indiscriminately arrest and imprison children engaged in commercial sexual exploitation rather than treating them as victims.
Children in South Sudan engage in the worst forms of child labor, including in armed conflict and cattle herding. (1-9) Table 1 provides key indicators on children's work and education in South Sudan.
|
Children |
Age |
Percent |
|---|---|---|
|
Working (% and population) |
10 to 14 |
45.6 (463,624) |
|
Working children by sector |
10 to 14 |
|
|
Agriculture |
60.2 |
|
|
Industry |
38.2 |
|
|
Services |
1.6 |
|
|
Attending School (%) |
6 to 14 |
31.5 |
|
Combining Work and School (%) |
10 to 14 |
10.9 |
|
Primary Completion Rate (%) |
27.4 |
Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2011, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2020. (10)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis of statistics from Fifth Housing and Population Census, 2008. (11)
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 activities, including planting and harvesting crops (1,2) |
|
Cattle herding† (2,3) |
|
|
Gathering firewood (2,4) |
|
|
Industry |
Construction,† including building and transporting materials (2,3) |
|
Rock breaking† (2,3) |
|
|
Making bricks (2,5,4) |
|
|
Gold mining,† including carrying soil and panning (2,4,6,7) |
|
|
Services |
Domestic work (2) |
|
Street work, including vending, polishing shoes, preparing tea, selling black market gasoline, and ticket-taking for group transport companies (2,4) |
|
|
Cooking and cleaning in restaurants or food stands (2) |
|
|
Scrap metal and empty bottle collection (3,8) |
|
|
Work in slaughterhouses, including transporting livestock and meat (3) |
|
|
Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡ |
Forced labor in brickmaking, cattle herding, gold mining, and market vending (2,4,9,10) |
|
Commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (2,4,6,9) |
|
|
Forced recruitment of children by state and non-state armed groups for use in armed conflict (2,9,11-15) |
† 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.
The 2018 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) mandates the release and reintegration of child soldiers by all armed groups. (13,25) During the reporting period, signatories to the R-ARCSS recommitted to a UN Action Plan to end and prevent all grave violations against children, including recruitment and use in armed conflict. (26) Despite this commitment, evidence suggests that the South Sudan People's Defense Force (SSPDF) continued to forcibly recruit children through July 2019. (23) The government continued to participate in child soldier release and reintegration ceremonies, but did not hold SSPDF officers criminally accountable for the unlawful recruitment and use of children. (24)
Since the start of the conflict in December 2013, government and opposition forces have recruited more than 19,000 child soldiers and children associated with armed forces and groups. (13,27) A reduction in hostilities led to a reduction in active recruitment, including of children. The number of grave violations decreased significantly in the second half of the reporting period, as parties to the R-ARCSS began to observe a ceasefire. (28,29) Many former child combatants have since been released or are no longer classified as children. (13,30) Nevertheless, observers documented systematic recruitment of children through July 2019. Both government and non-state armed groups recruited and use children as young as age 10, sometimes forcibly. (23) Recruitment, use, and re-recruitment of children were documented throughout the country. (13,18,20,23,29,31) Perpetrators included the national army of South Sudan—the South Sudan People's Defense Forces (SSPDF), previously known as Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), and the Taban Deng-allied SSPDF—and opposition groups, including the pro-Machar Sudan People's Liberation Army-In Opposition (SPLA-IO), the National Salvation Front-Khalid Butrus (NAS-KhB), and the South Sudan National Liberation Movement (SSNLM). (29) In some instances, local commissioners carried out recruitment drives on behalf of the state National Security Service and the SSPDF. (23,31,32) In Warrap, elements of South Sudan's National Security Services and SSPDF leveraged a cattle extortion scheme to procure children and young men of fighting age. Non-signatories to the ceasefire, including Paul Malong's South Sudan United Front and the National Salvation Front (NAS), also forcibly abducted children from their homes, schools, and communities. (13,21,23,30,31)
Additional reporting indicates that children were subjected to rape and sexual slavery by armed elements; some were forced to serve as "wives" of commanders and members of armed groups. (13,22) Although some children joined voluntarily, they were later unable to leave the groups at will. (9,23,33) Children affiliated with non-state armed groups performed active combat roles, perpetrated violence against civilians, and recruited other children. They also collected firewood, manned checkpoints, and carried out other support roles, including as cooks, porters, spies, and bodyguards to senior officers. (13,18,33)
An even greater number of children fight as part of local community defense forces. (15) Children abducted by armed pastoralists may be forcibly incorporated into heavily militarized cattle rustling networks. Younger children in these communities tend smaller livestock, while teenagers serve as auxiliaries for armed pastoralists or self-defense groups. (34,35) Among certain tribes, cattle raiding marks a rite of passage to adulthood. (34,35)
Across South Sudan, conflict and chronic underfunding of the education sector remains a serious barrier to accessing education. Ongoing fighting impaired the government's ability to deliver aid, provide education, and address the worst forms of child labor. (13,36) At least 2.2 million children are not receiving an education, one of the highest out-of-school rates in the world. (36) Only an estimated one in 13 children will complete a full cycle of primary education if the current situation persists. (7,20) Until a payment of arrears in December 2019, public school teachers had not received salary payments in months, leading to low morale and frequent absenteeism. (13) In addition to the abduction and use of children, ongoing military operations in conflict-affected areas have forced teachers to flee. Armed groups, including government forces, continue to occupy schools in contested areas, although school occupations decreased significantly during the reporting period. (13) Government forces occupied at least two schools at the close of the reporting period. (37)
Although the Constitution and the Child Act provide for free primary education, in practice, many families must contribute school fees to pay teacher salaries and other related costs, which may be prohibitive. (20,36,38) Additionally, children in pastoralist communities generally lack access to schools, materials, or teachers. (34)
Since the onset of conflict in 2013, over 4.3 million people have been internally displaced or have fled the country, and UNICEF has registered 11,731 unaccompanied minors, who are particularly vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor. (6,8,18,20) As South Sudan has never conducted a comprehensive child labor survey, information about sectors in which child labor occurs is unavailable. (13)
South Sudan 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 South Sudan's legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the compulsory education age.
|
Standard |
Meets International Standards |
Age |
Legislation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Minimum Age for Work |
Yes |
14 |
Section 12 of the Labour Act; Article 25(3) of the Child Act (16,17) |
|
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work |
Yes |
18 |
Sections 12 and 13 of the Labour Act; Articles 22(3), 24(1), and 25(1) of the Child Act (16,17) |
|
Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children |
Yes |
Article 25(2) of the Child Act (16) |
|
|
Prohibition of Forced Labor |
Yes |
Articles 10(1) and 13(2)(a) of the Labour Act; Articles 277–279 of the Penal Code; Article 13 of the Constitution (17-19) |
|
|
Prohibition of Child Trafficking |
Yes |
Article 13(2) of the Labour Act; Article 22(3)(b) of the Child Act; Articles 276 and 278–282 of the Penal Code (16-18) |
|
|
Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children |
Yes |
Article 13(2)(b) of the Labour Act; Articles 22(3)(c)–(d), 22(4), and 25(2)(m) of the Child Act; Articles 258 and 276 of the Penal Code (16-18) |
|
|
Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities |
Yes |
Article 13(2)(c) of the Labour Act; Article 24(1) of the Child Act; Article 383(3)(d) of the Penal Code (16-18) |
|
|
Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment |
Yes |
18 |
Article 31(1) of the Child Act; Section 22 of the Sudan People's Liberation Army Act (16,20) |
|
Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military |
Yes |
Article 31(1) of the Child Act; Sections 20, 22(2) and (7) of the Sudan People's Liberation Army Act (16,20) |
|
|
Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups |
Yes |
Article 31(1) of the Child Act (16) |
|
|
Compulsory Education Age |
No |
13 |
Article 9.1(b) of the General Education Act; Article 14(1) of the Child Act (16,21) |
|
Free Public Education |
Yes |
Article 6(a) of the General Education Act; Article 13(4)(b) of the Labour Code; Article 14(1) of the Child Act; Article 29.2 of the Constitution (16,17,19,21) |
The Labour Act, published in 2018, appears to have two contradictory standards for prohibiting children from engaging in hazardous work: Articles 12(6) and 13 both state that hazardous work is prohibited for children under the age of 18, in line with international standards. However, by contrast, Article 12(2) also states that children under the age of 14 shall not be permitted to work "in the worst forms of child labor," and Section 13(1) equates "the worst forms of child labor" with hazardous work, suggesting that only children under the age of 14 are prohibited from engaging in hazardous work.(39) Another key obstacle is a lack of regulations governing the Labour Act's implementation. In accordance with the Labour Act, the Ministry of Labor, Public Service and Human Resource Development (MOL) must draft and issue regulations to implement key elements related to child labor, including the number of hours and conditions for light work, the exceptions under which 16-year-old children may perform hazardous work, and a complete hazardous work list. (9,39) Drafting regulations will require cooperation between the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Justice. (13)
Children are required to attend school only until age 13. This standard makes children between ages 13 and 14 particularly vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor because they are not required to be in school but are also not legally permitted to work. (13,39,44)
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 the Ministry of Labor, Public Service, and Human Resource Development (MOL) that may hinder adequate enforcement of their child labor laws.
|
Organization/Agency |
Role |
|---|---|
|
Ministry of Labor, Public Service and Human Resource Development (MOL) |
Enforces child labor laws, identifies child labor violations, and conducts workplace inspections. (2,16,17,22) |
|
Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare |
Coordinates activities on children's rights and acts as the focal ministry for child protection. (2) |
|
South Sudan's People's Defense Forces (SSPDF) Directorate for Child Protection |
Prevents the recruitment of children into the army, monitors barracks, identifies child soldiers and assists with their release, investigates allegations of child soldiering, and provides training on children's rights to child protection officers and members of SSPDF. Headed by a Brigadier General, serves as liaison between SSPDF and the international community. (2) |
|
Ministry of Interior's South Sudan National Police Services |
Enforces criminal laws related to the worst forms of child labor. (2) |
|
Ministry of Justice |
Oversees all courts and prosecutes violations, including those related to child labor. (2) |
In keeping with its commitment to implement the UN Action Plan to end grave violations against children, a unit on child protection issues was integrated into the army's 2019 civic education curriculum. (30) Additionally, the SSPDF broke ground on a new UNMISS-funded child protection office at SSPDF headquarters in Bilpam. (45)
Labor Law Enforcement
In 2019, labor law enforcement agencies in South Sudan took actions to combat child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the operations of the Labor Inspectorate that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including the inspectorate's budget.
|
Overview of Labor Law Enforcement |
2018 |
2019 |
|---|---|---|
|
Labor Inspectorate Funding |
Unknown (23) |
$11,000 (2) |
|
Number of Labor Inspectors |
9 (23) |
13 (2) |
|
Inspectorate Authorized to Assess Penalties |
Yes (23) |
Yes (17) |
|
Initial Training for New Labor Inspectors |
Yes (23) |
Yes (2) |
|
Training on New Laws Related to Child Labor |
No (23) |
N/A (2) |
|
Refresher Courses Provided |
No (23) |
Yes (2) |
|
Number of Labor Inspections Conducted |
1 (24) |
750 (2) |
|
Number Conducted at Worksite |
1 (24) |
750 (2) |
|
Number of Child Labor Violations Found |
18 (24) |
0 (2) |
|
Number of Child Labor Violations for Which Penalties Were Imposed |
0 (24) |
N/A (2) |
|
Number of Child Labor Penalties Imposed that Were Collected |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Routine Inspections Conducted |
No (23) |
750 (2) |
|
Routine Inspections Targeted |
N/A |
No (2) |
|
Unannounced Inspections Permitted |
Yes (17) |
Yes (17) |
|
Unannounced Inspections Conducted |
No (23) |
Yes (2) |
|
Complaint Mechanism Exists |
Yes (16,17) |
Yes (2) |
|
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Labor Authorities and Social Services |
Yes (16) |
Yes (2) |
The Ministry of Labor lacked sufficient resources to fulfill its mandate. (13,44) The MOL's entire 2019/20 budget amounted to $163,000, leaving scant funding for inspections. (13) While the Labor Inspectorate conducted 3-4 daily worksite inspections during the reporting period, a significant increase from the previous year, detected violations were not referred to legal authorities as required by law. (13,38) Although inspectors may issue a compliance notice to violators, regulations do not specify penalties for infractions. Moreover, Labor Inspectorate staff were paid only sporadically, incentivizing some inspectors to pocket undocumented "fines."(13) There was also a high level of absenteeism among ministry staff, and civil servants in nearly every ministry were not paid for several months, hindering the Labor Inspectorate's ability to enforce child labor laws. (9,13) Although statistics on the number of people in South Sudan's labor force are unavailable, it is unlikely that 13 labor inspectors are sufficient to address the scope of the country's child labor problem. (13,47,48)
Criminal Law Enforcement
In 2019, criminal law enforcement agencies in South Sudan 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 failure to prosecute perpetrators of the worst forms of child labor.
|
Overview of Criminal Law Enforcement |
2018 |
2019 |
|---|---|---|
|
Initial Training for New Criminal Investigators |
No (23) |
Yes (2) |
|
Training on New Laws Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor |
N/A |
N/A (2) |
|
Refresher Courses Provided |
Yes (4,25) |
Yes (2) |
|
Number of Investigations |
Unknown (23) |
Unknown (2) |
|
Number of Violations Found |
934 (23) |
580 (2) |
|
Number of Prosecutions Initiated |
0 (23) |
0 (2) |
|
Number of Convictions |
0 (23) |
0 (2) |
|
Imposed Penalties for Violations Related to The Worst Forms of Child Labor |
No (23) |
No (2) |
|
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Criminal Authorities and Social Services |
No (26,27) |
No (2) |
South Sudan's justice system faces enormous challenges, such as low capacity, insufficient funding, interference by the government and the SSPDF, insufficient training for law enforcement personnel, and a scarcity of judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. (13,18,51) Research indicates that prosecutors and law enforcement officials are not familiar with legal statutes regarding the worst forms of child labor. (9,18) As a result, police continued to indiscriminately arrest and imprison children engaged in commercial sexual exploitation rather than treating them as victims. (13,18) The government did not provide information on its criminal law enforcement efforts for inclusion in this report.
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) conducted a number of investigations into reports of children in armed groups, but it is unknown how many total investigations were completed. (9) Although both the 2017 Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities and the August 2013 Punitive Order commit the SSPDF to hold its military officers accountable for the recruitment or use of children, the government has neither investigated nor prosecuted officers who allegedly committed such crimes. (15,18)
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 coverage of all relevant sectors.
|
Coordinating Body |
Role & Description |
|---|---|
|
Technical Taskforce on Anti-Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Persons* |
Established in December 2019 with support from IOM, objectives include ratification of the Palermo Protocol and enactment of South Sudan's migration policy, which is currently in draft form. Members of the task force include the Ministry of Justice (co-chair), Ministry of Interior (co-chair), the National Security Service – Internal Security Bureau (NSS-ISB), Ministry of Labor, and the Ministry of Child, Gender, and Social Welfare. (15) |
|
South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Commission (NDDRC) |
Oversees and coordinates all disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration activities with the assistance of UN bodies by convening regular meetings with Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) stakeholders.(27) In 2019, SPLA-IO and South Sudan Opposition Alliance (SSOA) joined the commission, along with parties to Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). (2) Responsible for the negotiation of the release, screening, and registration of child soldiers; reunification with family when possible; and educational placement or vocational training. (4) In 2019, facilitated DDR ceremonies resulting in the release and reintegration of 580 children. (2) As part of the implementation of the peace agreement, the NDDRC received an additional allocation of $2 million from the government of South Sudan for DDR activities through the National Pre-Transitional Committee (NPTC). (2) |
|
UN Country Task Force on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR) |
Charged with screening and releasing all children associated with armed groups across the country, the CTFMR is co-chaired by UNICEF and leads child protection awareness and sensitization efforts within SSPDF. (2,15,28) The CTFMR formed a Joint Verification Committee in April 2019, consisting of SSPDF, Pro-Machar SPLA-IO, SSOA, the Taban Deng-allied SSPDF, NDDRC, UNMISS, and UNICEF. (29) The committee conducted child protection training for UNMISS personnel, and mobile units were deployed to remote areas and IDP camps to provide additional monitoring and verification training. Between July and December 2019, CTFMR verified 74 grave violations against 73 children. (2,30) As of February 2020, provided sensitization training to over 5,000 members of armed forces and groups, including government security forces, pro-Machar SPLA-IO forces, and SSOA forces. (31,32) Additionally, UNICEF serves as co-chair of the UN Country Task Force for Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMR), which reports on grave violations affecting children in armed conflict. Under this framework, UNICEF coordinated the release of former child combatants in Unity, Western Equatoria, Central Equatoria, Jonglei, and Western Bahr el Ghazal states, along with the UNMISS Child Protection Unit and NDDRC. (33) |
|
Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring and Verification Mechanism (CTSAMVM) |
Monitors compliance of R-ARCSS parties through its 12 Monitoring and Verification Teams (MVTs), which are located in conflict-affected regions of South Sudan. MVT units report all violations, including recruitment of child soldiers, to CTSAMVM headquarters in Juba. The mechanism supports NDDRC's mandate of reintegrating former child soldiers and children associated with armed groups into civilian life. (2,34) In 2019, assisted NDDRC in identifying and securing the release of at least 580 child soldiers. (2) |
*Mechanism was established during the reporting period.
Although the government has the South Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration Commission (NDDRC) to coordinate efforts to address children in armed conflict, it does not have coordinating mechanisms to address other forms of child labor, as the National Steering Committee on Child Labor has not been active since it was first constituted in 2012. (9,13) It is unclear what proportion of the NDDRC's 2019 budget will be dedicated to demobilizing and reintegrating child soldiers. (13)
The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including funding and implementation of relevant policies.
|
Policy |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS) (2018) |
Replaces all components of the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, including the Joint Action Plan with the UN to Combat the Use of Child Soldiers, and reaffirms commitments made under the 2017 Agreement on the Cessation of Hostilities. (35,36) Establishes the structure of a Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity and outlines actions to be taken by signatories, including prohibiting the recruitment and use of child soldiers by armed forces or militias, and stipulates that all civilian areas, including schools, shall be immediately demilitarized. (35) Although the release of some child soldiers occurred in 2019, the signatories continued to recruit or re-recruit children during the reporting period. (2,14) |
|
General Education Strategic Plan (2017–2022) |
Aims to improve access and quality of education by through grants and cash transfers to girls in upper primary and secondary schools, as well as payment of teachers' salaries. The Ministry of Education's Back to Learning program, devised under the strategy, served 1,258,244 children in 2019, and was scheduled to expand into additional states in 2020. (37,38) |
|
Comprehensive Action Plan to Prevent Grave Violations Against Children in South Sudan† |
In 2019, all signatories to the R-ARCSS signed the Comprehensive Action Plan to End & Prevent All Grave Violations Against Children. (39) The Action Plan, which applies to all state and non-state groups, came into force under the February 2020 transitional government. Parties to the commitment include the SSPF and Riek Machar's SPLA-IO, which were listed for killing and maiming, abduction of children, and child recruitment and use in armed conflict, as well as the South Sudan Opposition Alliance. (39) It is designed to prevent and mitigate grave violations against children, including the recruitment of child soldiers and attacks on schools. (39) Drafting process was supported by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and UNICEF, in collaboration with SSPDF. In February 2019, the Defense Minister announced SSPDF would integrate the Action Plan into its Civic Education unit, which it did in January 2020. (40,41) |
† Policy was approved during the reporting period.
South Sudan's education sector is largely donor-subsidized, and sufficient funding was not allocated for the full five-year period of the General Education Strategic Plan. (9,58)
In 2019, the government 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 to address the problem in all sectors.
|
Program |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Joint Program for Recovery and Resilience |
Joint agreement between donors, USAID, UN agencies, local leaders, and NGOs that aims to re-establish access to basic services, including psycho-social support, education, and economic alternatives for children separated from armed groups. (42-44) The Partnership for Recovery and Resilience (PfRR) was inaugurated in Yambio in 2018, and programs in Torit, Wau, and Aweil were launched during the reporting period. (45) In December 2019, more than 200 members of the PfRR gathered in Juba to review progress and expand resilience and capacity-building throughout South Sudan. By 2020, aims to complete construction of seven primary schools; provide learning and teaching materials to all primary schools in Gbudue State; and ensure 100 percent of children associated with armed groups are demobilized and reintegrated into their communities. (46) |
|
UNICEF and Donor Funded Programs |
Programs to improve educational access in areas affected by conflict. Includes: Integrated Essential Emergency Education Services (IEEES), a USAID-funded program that supported children at risk for being recruited into armed groups; and Back to Learning (BTL), a State Ministry of Education, Gender, and Social Welfare-administered, UNICEF-funded program in Yambio and Bentiu which aims to address educational needs in conflict-afflicted areas and insecure states. BTL reached 1,258,244 children between 2015 and 2019, and the program is set to expand into other states in 2020, with a focus on serving girls and pastoralist communities. (38) IEEES, meanwhile, enrolled 615,840 children out of a target of 729,000 during the reporting period; rehabilitated or established 644 temporary learning spaces; and provided 615,840 children (41 percent girls) with learning materials. The program also trained an additional 5,025 teachers (20 percent female) in teaching methodologies. (31,38) In the Upper Nile region, 365 individuals from Parent Teacher Associations/School Management Committees, Child Protection Networks, Child Friendly Space facilitators were trained on providing psycho-social skills, life skills, and peace building activities. (47) As of August 2019, UNICEF had trained 4,517 teachers on education-in-emergencies pedagogy. UNICEF also provided early learning, pre-primary, primary or secondary education to 598,518 children, 42 percent of whom were girls. (31) The organization delivered psychosocial support services to 127,000 children. (31) |
|
Dallaire Initiative (2018–2021) |
$2.2 million project funded by Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative. Aims to train 1,200 South Sudanese soldiers, police, and prison personnel on combating the use of children in armed conflict through behavior change. (50) Research was unable to establish if the project was active during the reporting period. |
|
Alternative Education System |
Aims to improve literacy and provide out-of-school populations an alternative to formal education. Includes: the Accelerated Learning Program (ALP) targeting older teens; Community Girls' Schools (CGS) located in closer proximity to rural communities; and the Pastoralist Education Program (PEP) targeting children and adults in pastoral areas. (37) |
|
Measurement, Awareness-Raising, and Policy Engagement (MAP 16) Project on Child Labor and Forced Labor |
U.S. Department of Labor-funded project (2016–2022) implemented by ILO to conduct research and develop new survey methodologies, improve awareness, strengthen policies and government capacity, and promote partnerships to combat child labor and forced labor. (48) Completed work on a three-country study of forced child labor in conflict zones, due to be published in 2020. (49) Additional information is available on the USDOL website. |
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor. (9,18)
Although South Sudan has programs that target child labor, the scope of these programs is insufficient to fully address the extent of the problem, including in commercial sexual exploitation and child soldiering. In addition, the reintegration and rehabilitation services provided to child soldiers are insufficient to meet the existing needs. (9,20,61,68)
Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in South Sudan (Table 11).
|
Area |
Suggested Action |
Year(s) Suggested |
|---|---|---|
|
Legal Framework |
Ratify the Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons. |
2013 – 2019 |
|
Ensure that the compulsory education age is consistent with the minimum age for work. |
2013 – 2019 |
|
|
Ensure that the worst forms of child labor are prohibited for all children under age 18 by law. |
2017 – 2019 |
|
|
Issue, by national law or regulation, a complete list of hazardous work prohibited for children, after consultation with employers' and workers' organizations. |
2017 – 2019 |
|
|
Enforcement |
Ensure labor regulations specify monetary penalties for all labor infractions, and that specified penalties are high enough to serve as a deterrent. |
2019 |
|
Increase the number of labor inspectors to adequately enforce labor laws throughout the country. |
2016 – 2019 |
|
|
Provide sufficient human and financial resources to ensure labor inspectors carry out routine inspections, including targeted inspections based on analysis of data related to high-risk sectors and patterns of serious incidents; that detected violations are reported, as required by law; and labor inspectorate staff are paid at regular intervals. |
2012 – 2019 |
|
|
Publish the number of criminal investigations conducted, and prosecute all perpetrators of child labor. |
2015 – 2019 |
|
|
Investigate, prosecute, and/or impose penalties on all parties responsible for the recruitment or use of children in armed conflict, and ensure penalties are sufficiently high to deter future offenders. |
2013 – 2019 |
|
|
Establish referral mechanisms between criminal law enforcement agencies and social services providers for victims of the worst forms of child labor. |
2014 – 2019 |
|
|
Ensure that prosecutors and law enforcement officials are familiar with the prohibitions on the worst forms of child labor, are trained in implementing all laws related to child labor, and do not treat victims of commercial sexual exploitation as offenders. |
2012 – 2019 |
|
|
Ensure that the Child Act's minimum age of 18 years for voluntary military recruitment is enforced by ending all recruitment and use of children under age 18 by the South Sudan Peoples' Defense Forces (SSPDF), the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO), or associated militias. |
2012 – 2019 |
|
|
Coordination |
Establish coordinating mechanisms to combat all worst forms of child labor. |
2013 – 2019 |
|
Government Policies |
Ensure that policies, such as the Joint Action Plan to Prevent the Use of Child Soldiers, Article 2.1.10 of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, and the General Education Strategic Plan, are adequately funded and fully implemented. |
2012 – 2019 |
|
Social Programs |
Conduct a national child labor survey, including research to determine the activities carried out by children, to inform policies and social programs. |
2013 – 2019 |
|
Ensure that children complete their primary education by resuming payment of teachers' salaries and subsidizing other school-related costs, and by withdrawing government forces from occupied schools. |
2014 – 2019 |
|
|
Improve access to education by addressing the lack of school infrastructure, including for pastoralist children; lessening the impact of food insecurity; and registering all children at birth. |
2012 – 2019 |
|
|
Increase the scope of social programs to reach more children at risk of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation and child soldiering. |
2012 – 2019 |
|
|
Cooperate with child protection agencies, pursuant to Article 2.1.10 of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, to disarm, immediately release children in armed groups, and transfer them to appropriate social services providers. Ensure that the rehabilitation services provided to child soldiers are sufficient. |
2014 – 2019 |
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U.S. Embassy- Juba. Reporting. January 10, 2020.
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U.S. Embassy- Juba official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. February 20, 2019.
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U.S. Embassy- Juba. Reporting. February 22, 2019.
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Glinski, Stefanie. In South Sudan, civil war drives more children onto the streets, into work. February 13, 2018.
http://news.trust.org/item/20180213100021-ctxmr/. -
Cordaid. Mining in South Sudan: Opportunities and Risks for Local Communities. January 2016.
https://www.cordaid.org/en/publications/mining-south-sudan-opportunities-and-risks-local-communities-2/. -
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U.S. Embassy- Juba. Reporting. January 16, 2018.
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U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2019: South Sudan. Washington, DC, June 19, 2019.
https://ss.usembassy.gov/trafficking-in-persons-report-2019-south-sudan/ -
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UNMISS Conflict-related Violations and Abuses in Central Equatoria July 3, 2019.
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Government of the Republic of South Sudan. The Penal Code Act. Enacted: February 10, 2009. Source on file.
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Government of the Republic of South Sudan. The Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011. Enacted: 2011.
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http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/MONOGRAPH/98164/116700/F1105592601/SSD98164.pdf. -
Government of the Republic of South Sudan. General Education Act, 2012/Act No. 30. Enacted: 2012. Source on file.
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U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2019: South Sudan. Washington, DC. March 11, 2020.
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U.S. Embassy- Juba. Reporting. January 14, 2019.
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Radio Tamazuj. Torit traders cautioned against employing children. November 7, 2018.
https://radiotamazuj.org/en/news/article/torit-traders-cautioned-against-employing-children. -
Sackitey, Gideon. Opposition Forces in Jonglei Receive Training from UNMISS to End Child Recruitment. November 30, 2018.
https://unmiss.unmissions.org/opposition-forces-jonglei-receive-training-unmiss-end-child-recruitment. -
UNICEF. Child Protection. October 2018.
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Lamb, Guy and Theo Stainer. The Conundrum of DDR Coordination: The Case of South Sudan. February 8, 2018.
https://www.stabilityjournal.org/articles/10.5334/sta.628. -
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UN Security Council. Children and armed conflict: Report of the Secretary-General. June 9, 2020.
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https://www.unicef.org/southsudan/media/1856/file/UNICEF-South-Sudan-MRM-Briefing-Note-Dec-2019.pdf. -
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Ceasefire & Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM). Child Soldiers Report 2018/02. January 15, 2018.
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Intergovernmental Authority on Development. Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS). Addis Ababa, September 12, 2018.
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