Children in Armenia are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. (1-3) Children also engage in child labor in agriculture. (2,4,5) Table 1 provides key indicators on children's work and education in Armenia.

Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2019 published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2021. (6)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis of statistics from National Child Labor Survey (SIMPOC), 2015. (7)

Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.

‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

The Government of Armenia does not routinely collect or maintain official data on child labor. (11) Reports indicate that significant numbers of children, including some below the age of 14, leave school to work in the informal sectors in agriculture and construction, and increasing numbers of children are engaged in begging. (5,12) In February 2021, the government adopted procedures for identifying children who have dropped out of compulsory education, and created an institutional response mechanism to prevent child trafficking and child labor, as children outside of the education system are a high-risk population for exploitation. (13) However, there is no enforcement of the mandatory school attendance requirement, nor are there programs to identify, assess, and address the reasons for truancy or dropping out. (14)

Although Article 38 of the Constitution of Armenia and Article 6 of the Law of the Republic of Armenia on Education guarantee free universal education, children from ethnic minority and low-income families continue to have reduced access to education. (15-17) Children of families who travel for seasonal labor and work on farms in remote rural areas are also less likely to be enrolled in school and are vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor, including forced child labor in agriculture. (18) Reports also indicate that in rural areas, families may keep girls out of school because of cultural expectations or concerns about severe gender imbalance in classrooms. (5,19)

The Law on Education requires all schools to be inclusive for children with disabilities by 2025, and the 2017–2021 National Strategy for Child Rights Protection includes priority actions to ensure equitable and inclusive education. (17,20,21) However, NGOs report that children with disabilities still face difficulty accessing mainstream education due to inaccessible school buildings and a lack of special education teachers and other specialists, especially for students with mental disabilities. (21,22)

The government has reduced institutionalization of children in recent years; however, nearly 2,400 children remain in government boarding schools, orphanages, and special education institutions. (23,24) These children are more likely to experience physical and psychological violence and are at a higher risk of becoming victims of human trafficking. (10,23) Children living in these institutions are reportedly also vulnerable to exploitation in child labor, including labor within the institutions. (25,26)

Armenia has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).

The government has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist in Armenia's legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including a lack of definitions for forced labor and light work.

‡ Age calculated based on available information (33)

In 2020, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MLSA) submitted for approval a concept paper to revise the Labor Code to define “forced labor.” However, the changes were not approved during the reporting period. (1,35) In addition, the labor inspectorate received preliminary approval for a legislative change that would allow unannounced inspections. (35) In September, Armenia finalized the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, which requires criminalization of all forms of sexual offences against children. (1)

The Labor Code allows children ages 14 and 15 to work restricted hours with the permission of a parent or guardian, but does not identify specific activities that constitute light work. (27) In addition, the Constitution, Criminal Code, and Labor Code prohibit forced labor, but enforcement of this prohibition may be hindered by the failure of Armenian law to define "forced labor." (15,27,30,36)

The minimum age law does not meet international standards because labor legislation does not apply to children working in the informal sector, including those who are self-employed. (27,28) In addition, the laws criminalizing commercial sexual exploitation of children are insufficient because they do not explicitly criminalize the users (clients) of commercial sex involving children. (30,37)

The government has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 5). However, gaps exist within the authority of enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate enforcement of their child labor laws.

As part of a broader inspection reform agenda, Armenia’s labor inspectorate was abolished in 2013, and the responsibility for conducting labor inspections was transferred to the new State Health Inspectorate, created the same year. (45) In 2014, legislative changes repealed Article 34 of the Labor Code, which had previously established the government's authority to implement labor legislation and collective bargaining agreements. (46) In 2015, subsequent changes to legislation regulating labor inspections left the State Health Inspectorate unable to conduct labor inspections. (36,47) In 2017, continued inspection reform led to the dissolution of the State Health Inspectorate and the creation of the Health Inspection Body, which was tasked with monitoring occupational safety and health standards for employees, along with monitoring a variety of public health standards. (48) In 2018, a law on the State Bodies of Governance Systems came into force that changed the Health Inspection Body to the Health and Labor Inspection Body (HLIB). (49)

In 2019, Article 33 of the Labor Code was amended to empower HLIB to issue penalties for violations and to conduct inspections in sectors for which inspection checklists have been approved. (50) Although this amendment was not scheduled to enter into force until July 2021, HLIB was granted emergency authority to perform some additional duties beginning in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic; as a result, HLIB had a leading role in enforcing quarantine provisions to ensure worker safety and health during the reporting period. (1,51) HLIB exercised oversight over all four areas under its control: epidemiological safety; health care and services; pharmaceuticals; and labor law, including enforcing child labor laws for the first time since HLIB’s authority over labor issues was reinstated in 2019. (1) In October 2020, additional changes to the bylaws regulating the work of HLIB went into effect that granted it responsibility for upholding labor rights and worker health and safety. HLIB widely publicized its new responsibilities, emphasizing in particular its new authority to examine labor violations in response to written complaints. (1)

During the reporting period, HLIB was empowered to launch administrative procedures in response to complaints, including child labor complaints. HLIB is also authorized to issue penalties for any administrative violations they uncover and to refer cases to criminal law enforcement when appropriate. (52) When performing routine inspections, HLIB must inform employers of an upcoming inspection 3 business days in advance, and legislation limits the questions inspectors can ask to a legally predetermined checklist of issues. (40,53,54) However, HLIB has broader authority when responding to a complaint. In these instances, HLIB may issue notification to the employer via e-mail and immediately conduct a site visit. (52) In addition, inspectors responding to a complaint are not restricted to a predetermined checklist. (52) Although 25 new checklists were approved during 2020, checklists, including questions related to child labor, have not yet been approved for all industries. (1,40,53) Due to the ongoing restrictions on routine inspections, HLIB's ability to enforce child labor laws was insufficient in 2020. However, HLIB engaged in other activities to combat child labor, including posting videos on social media and conducting awareness-raising activities and regional training sessions on labor issues. (52)
In 2020, MLSA planned training sessions for regional professionals on the new Referral Mechanism for Minor Victims of Trafficking in Persons, proactive victim identification, and victim assistance. Scheduled trainings were postponed due to the pandemic. (35)

Labor Law Enforcement

In 2020, the lack of authorization to conduct unannounced inspections in Armenia may have impeded the enforcement of child labor laws (Table 6).

In 2020, HLIB had 28 labor inspectors. (1) The number of labor inspectors is likely insufficient for the size of Armenia’s workforce, which includes around 1.3 million workers. According to the ILO’s technical advice of a ratio approaching 1 inspector for every 20,000 workers in transition economies, Armenia would employ about 65 labor inspectors. (56,57) HLIB has reported that it plans to hire a number of new employees, including increasing the number of inspectors to 80, by July 2021 to implement the expanded inspection mandate that will come into force at that time. (1,40,50) The government has also approved an increase of HLIB's budget to $2.7 million in 2021 and the allocation of a new building to HLIB. In addition, three of HLIB's regional centers in Ijevan, Sisian, and Vanadzor were moved to government-owned buildings to ensure better working conditions. (1)The government also provided HLIB with new equipment, including furniture, computers, and vehicles to assist in fulfilling its mandate. (1)

In February 2020, 30 HLIB employees took part in a week-long ILO training. The training focused on risk assessment and capacity building in anticipation of HLIB's expanded duties in 2021. (1,58)
In 2020, HLIB carried out 119 risk-based inspections, including 27 in the area of worker health and ensuring worker safety in the mining sector. No child labor violations were discovered during these inspections, although HLIB separately examined a number of cases in which children were engaged in sales, and issued a $400 fine in one case in which a minor younger than 14 was selling bread. (1) During the first 10 months of 2020, HLIB launched 823 administrative proceedings that were unrelated to the pandemic, 687 of which were initiated by HLIB and 136 in response to complaints. HLIB also undertook 33,474 inspections to monitor pandemic-related regulations. (1) The HLIB hotline received over 2,500 calls in 2020, a seven-fold increase over the previous year. In December, HLIB launched a new online platform to which workers can submit complaints. (1)

Criminal Law Enforcement

In 2020, criminal law enforcement agencies in Armenia 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 investigative planning.

During the reporting period, the government identified five cases of trafficking of a minor child for the purpose of labor exploitation, including forced begging. (1) Law enforcement authorities initiated investigations into three cases of child labor exploitation involving four minor children—one in cattle breeding, two in forced begging, and one working in a store. (14)

The government introduced a 5-month training program for Armenia’s new patrol police force that includes information on combating trafficking in persons and identifying minor victims. The patrol police training began in November 2020, with the new force's launch scheduled for mid-2021. (35)

In 2020, legislation came into force that permits investigators to question the victims of a crime via video for reasons of health, age, or safety. Investigators are also now permitted to speak to a witness or victim in another country via diplomatic representation. (35) In addition, as of January 1, 2021, a new law came into force that limits interviews of minor witnesses and victims of crime to a maximum of 90 minutes. (35) However, law enforcement officials may not receive sufficient specialized training on interviewing victims of child trafficking, which in some cases can prevent local investigators from collecting sufficient evidence to build a prosecutable case. (43) Although the Criminal Procedural Code includes provisions to protect witnesses and minimize victim retraumatization, the government may not employ these measures in all human trafficking cases, including those involving minors. (44)

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 efforts to address all forms of child labor.

*Mechanism to coordinate efforts to address child labor was created during the reporting period.

In June 2020, the government adopted a new referral mechanism to identify and assist minor victims of trafficking in persons. (1) The Ministerial Council to Combat Human Trafficking and the Inter-Agency Working Group Against Trafficking in Persons met virtually during the reporting period to discuss the implementation of the National Action Plan (NAP) Against Trafficking in Persons. In addition, the Ministry of Justice devised a plan consisting of additional measures for both short-term and long-term improvement of the government's strategies to combat trafficking in persons, and the plan was agreed to by all relevant state agencies and approved by the Deputy Prime Minister, who heads the Council. (1,35) However, Armenia still lacks coordinating mechanisms to address other forms of child labor, including street work, the services sector, and agriculture. (12)

The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including mainstreaming child labor issues into relevant policies.

*Policy was approved during the reporting period.

Although the implementation of the government's NAP Against Trafficking in Persons (2020–2022) had been delayed, the NAP entered into force on June 4, 2020, and implementation in several areas, such as public outreach and education, began immediately. (35)

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 problem in all sectors.

† Program is funded by the Government of Armenia.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor. (63)

Although the Government of Armenia has implemented programs to address child labor, research found no evidence that it has carried out programs to assist children engaged in child labor in street work or in agriculture.

During the reporting period, the government introduced additional programs to provide financial assistance to those affected by the pandemic and relief to those displaced by the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. (1) However, personnel and resources are insufficient to meet the needs of many social services programs, and participation is low due to a lack of awareness-raising outreach by the government. (14)

Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in Armenia (Table 11).

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6. UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Accessed March 26, 2021. For more information, please see “Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
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36. U.S. Embassy- Yerevan. Reporting, January 13, 2017.
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59. U.S. Embassy- Yerevan. Reporting, February 20, 2019.
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