2020 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor: Burkina Faso

 
Moderate Advancement

In 2020, Burkina Faso made moderate advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. With the support of UNICEF programs, 1,993 children who were victims of child labor and its worst forms received care and services following their removal from work in artisanal gold mining. The government also created a National Coordination Committee to enact the 2019–2023 National Strategy to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labor, and it continued to carry out a new National Survey on Child Labor. However, children in Burkina Faso are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in farming and commercial sexual exploitation, each sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also engage in dangerous tasks in artisanal gold mining. The Labor Code does not identify the activities in which children may engage in light work. The government also lacked resources for the enforcement of child labor laws and did not release information on its criminal and labor enforcement efforts.

I. Prevalence and Sectoral Distribution of Child Labor

Children in Burkina Faso are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in farming and commercial sexual exploitation, each sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also engage in dangerous tasks in artisanal gold mining. (1,2) Table 1 provides key indicators on children’s work and education in Burkina Faso. Data on some of these indicators are not available from the sources used in this report.

Table 1. Statistics on Children's Work and Education

Children

Age

Percent

Working (% and population)

10 to 14

35.7 (849,922)

Working children by sector

10 to 14

 

Agriculture

 

80.0

Industry

 

5.6

Services

 

14.4

Attending School (%)

10 to 14

Unavailable

Combining Work and School (%)

10 to 14

Unavailable

Primary Completion Rate (%)

 

64.5

Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2019, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2021. (3)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis of statistics from Enquête Multisectorielle Continuée (EMC), 2014.
(4)

These data are not comparable with data presented in last year's report due to changes in survey source, survey questionnaire, or age range surveyed. (4)

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

Table 2. Overview of Children's Work by Sector and Activity

Sector/Industry

Activity

Agriculture

Planting, weeding, and harvesting crops, including cotton (5-7)

 

Raising and herding† livestock, including goats (8-10)

Industry

Artisanal mining† of gold, including digging† and crushing† rock, working underground,† carrying heavy loads,† and using mercury† (2,6,7,9,11-16)

 

Quarrying† and transporting heavy loads† while working to extract granite (17,18)

 

Working in construction (8,16)

Services

Domestic work (1,2,8,16,19)

 

Street work, including vending† (1,8,17)

Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡

Commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking ‡ (1,2,20)

 

Farming, including production of cotton and livestock raising, domestic work, begging, gold mining, and quarrying, each sometimes as a result of human trafficking (2,16)

 

Forced begging in unregistered, and thus illegal, Koranic schools (2,16)

† 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.

Burkina Faso is a destination, transit point, and source for child trafficking to and from other West African countries. Child trafficking also occurs within Burkina Faso. (1,2,21,22) Children engage in artisanal gold mining, which is particularly arduous and often exposes children to dangerous chemicals such as cyanide and mercury used in the gold extraction process. (1,6,10,15,23) Burkina Faso is the third largest producer of cotton in Africa, with a reported 250,000 children involved in growing the crop, primarily on small family farms. (24) Children working in the cotton sector are exposed to many health risks, including exposure to pesticides, injury from the use of sharp tools, animal bites, and respiratory issues. (5) In addition, continued insecurity has led to the mass displacement of over one million IDPs in the last 2 years, including a large number of vulnerable children. (2,9,24)

Although the Law Orienting the Education System mandates free education until age 16, the costs of uniforms, school-related fees, teacher shortages, and school infrastructure shortfalls in rural areas hinder children’s access to education. (9,25,26) At the institutional level, there is a lack of infrastructure, leading some communities to create makeshift structures to serve as schools. Teacher shortages are common, especially in post-primary levels. (9) Part of this deficit is linked to poor personnel management, which results in the concentration of staff in towns to the detriment of rural areas. At the economic level, poverty constitutes the main factor restricting access to education, as public schools are not completely free; the fees for all levels of education sometimes pose heavy burdens on families. (9) A dearth of transportation, coupled with transportation costs, continues to restrict access to schooling in urban areas. At the social level, school violence exists and is exacerbated by the current security crisis. (9)

Children in Burkina Faso must have birth documentation (a birth certificate or supplemental birth judgment) to register for school. (9,27) A student may begin schooling without documentation, but documentation must be provided before the end of the first quarter following the child’s registration. (9) Because more than one in five children do not have a birth certificate, many children in Burkina Faso remain out of school and vulnerable to child labor. (9)

While research has found no evidence of discrimination based on ethnicity, refugees and IDPs face many education challenges, mainly due to the sudden increase in education needs in the communities hosting them. Less than 20 percent of displaced people manage to obtain school registration. (9) In some localities where armed attacks on schools have intensified, especially in the East and Sahel regions, there is a preference of some communities for other types of education such as Koranic schools. (9)

During the reporting period, the government was in the process of carrying out a new survey called the National Survey on Child Labor (Enquête Nationale sur le Travail des Enfants). This ongoing survey is conducted by the ministry in charge of labor. It began in June 2019 and ends in December 2021. Its budget, an estimated $275,353 (148,966,370 FCFA), is supported by the Government of Burkina Faso and its technical partners. (9)

II. Legal Framework for Child Labor

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

Table 3. Ratification of International Conventions on Child Labor

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 Burkina Faso’s legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including unspecified light work provisions.

Table 4. Laws and Regulations on Child Labor

Standard

Meets International Standards

Age

Legislation

Minimum Age for Work

Yes

16

Article 152 of the Labor Code; Order Deviating the Age of Admission to Employment (28,29)

Minimum Age for Hazardous Work

Yes

18

Articles 149–150 of the Labor Code; Article 1 of the Hazardous Work List (28,30)

Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children

Yes

 

Article 153 of the Labor Code; Articles 3–6 of the Hazardous Work List; Article 77 of the Mining Code (28-31)

Prohibition of Forced Labor

Yes

 

Articles 5 and 153 of the Labor Code; Articles 3–5 of the Law Suppressing the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography; Article 1 of the Law on Combating Trafficking of Persons and Similar Practices (28,32,33)

Prohibition of Child Trafficking

Yes

 

Article 153 of the Labor Code; Articles 1–5 and 14–15 of the Law on Combating Trafficking of Persons and Similar Practices (28,33)

Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children

Yes

 

Article 153 of the Labor Code; Articles 3–4, 7–10, and 20 of the Law Suppressing the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography (28,32)

Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities

Yes

 

Article 153 of the Labor Code (28)

Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment

Yes

20

Article 2 of the Decree Organizing Operations Related to Convoking the Contingent (34)

Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military

N/A*

   

Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups

Yes

 

Articles 153 and 424 of the Labor Code (28)

Compulsory Education Age

Yes

16

Article 4 of the Law Orienting the Education System (26)

Free Public Education

Yes

 

Article 6 of the Law Orienting the Education System (26)

* No conscription (35)

The light work provisions in the Labor Code are not sufficiently specific to prevent children from involvement in child labor because activities that qualify as light work which may be permitted are not identified in legislation. (28,29)

III. Enforcement of Laws on Child Labor

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 child labor laws.

Table 5. Agencies Responsible for Child Labor Law Enforcement

Organization/Agency

Role

Ministry of Public Service, Labor, and Social Security (MFPTSS)

Enforces labor laws, including child labor laws and laws on the worst forms of child labor, and establishes a government policy to combat child labor. (36)

Ministry of Women, National Solidarity, and Family (MFSNF)

Removes children from exploitative child labor, provides reintegration services through its mobile unit for intervention, and works with local village surveillance committees on awareness-raising efforts through participation in joint routine inspections with MFPTSS, the lead agency on child labor law enforcement. (37) Operates a free hotline to report child abuse. Maintains civil registry offices in maternity wards to register newborn babies. (38) Enlists its National Council for Childhood to oversee all policies aimed at the survival, protection, development, and participation of children in broader policy initiatives. (39)

Ministry of Territorial Administration, Decentralization, and Interior Security (MATDSI)

Through its Morals Brigade in the MATDSI National Police Force, oversees criminal cases involving children and women, which are referred to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution. (40) Assists MFPTSS by participating in joint routine inspections related to child labor in suspected human trafficking cases. (37)

Ministry of Justice

Appoints one or more judges who specialize in child protection issues to each high court to oversee juvenile court cases. Collaborates with MFSNF social workers in charge of child protection to conduct investigations on behalf of vulnerable children, including victims of child trafficking, commercial sexual exploitation, exploitative child labor, and begging. (41)

Labor Law Enforcement

In 2020, labor law enforcement agencies in Burkina Faso took actions to combat child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the operations of the Ministry of Public Service, Labor, and Social Security that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including a lack of human and financial resources.

Table 6. Labor Law Enforcement Efforts Related to Child Labor

Overview of Labor Law Enforcement

2019

2020

Labor Inspectorate Funding

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Number of Labor Inspectors

Unknown

159 (9)

Inspectorate Authorized to Assess Penalties

Yes (28)

Yes (28)

Initial Training for New Labor Inspectors

Unknown

Yes (9)

Training on New Laws Related to Child Labor

N/A

N/A (9)

Refresher Courses Provided

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Number of Labor Inspections Conducted

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Number Conducted at Worksite

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Number of Child Labor Violations Found

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Number of Child Labor Violations for Which Penalties Were Imposed

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Number of Child Labor Penalties Imposed that Were Collected

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Routine Inspections Conducted

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Routine Inspections Targeted

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Unannounced Inspections Permitted

Yes (28)

Yes (28)

Unannounced Inspections Conducted

Unknown

Yes (9)

Complaint Mechanism Exists

Unknown

Yes (9)

Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Labor Authorities and Social Services

Yes

Yes (9)

In 2020, the government reported that it employs 159 labor inspectors and 107 labor controllers—the first time it has published this information in recent years. (9) However, the number of labor inspectors is likely insufficient for the size of Burkina Faso's workforce, which includes over 8.5 million workers. According to the ILO’s technical advice of a ratio approaching 1 inspector for every 40,000 workers in less developed economies, Burkina Faso would employ roughly 213 labor inspectors. The government did not publicly release information on its labor law enforcement efforts. (9) Research indicates that 2020 data are still being compiled on labor law enforcement activities. (9)

During the reporting period, labor inspectors received training on the 2019–2023 National Strategy to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labor (SN/PFTE) and its Plan of Operational Action 2019–2021, and on general information concerning child labor. In addition, a session of the permanent labor administration/jurisdictions consultation framework was held in Ouagadougou on October 27, 2020, which strengthened the capacities of labor inspectors, judicial personnel, and those involved in the application of criminal labor legislation. (9) Furthermore, it ensured the convergence and complementarity of action in the application of social legislation, it identified and analyzed the constraints and obstacles to the proper application of social legislation, and it formulated opinions and recommendations for the attention of consultation stakeholders, public authorities, and social partners, on any question relating to the application of social legislation. Newly recruited labor inspectors received initial training at the National Academy for Administration and Judiciary (École Nationale d'Administration et de Magistrature) (ENAM). (9)

Research indicates that the labor inspectorate lacks adequate resources to enforce labor laws throughout the country, including the human and financial resources needed to carry out a sufficient number of preliminary labor inspections and follow-up inspections. (22,43)

Criminal Law Enforcement

In 2020, criminal law enforcement agencies in Burkina Faso 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 inconsistent application of victim identification and referral procedures by authorities and frontline responders.

Table 7. Criminal Law Enforcement Efforts Related to Child Labor

Overview of Criminal Law Enforcement

2019

2020

Initial Training for New Criminal Investigators

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Training on New Laws Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor

N/A (29)

N/A (9)

Refresher Courses Provided

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Number of Investigations

Unknown

1 (44)

Number of Violations Found

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Number of Prosecutions Initiated

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Number of Convictions

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Imposed Penalties for Violations Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor

Unknown

Unknow (9)

Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Criminal Authorities and Social Services

Unknown

Unknown (9)

Although the government has standard victim identification and referral procedures, criminal law enforcement authorities and frontline responders do not apply them uniformly. (22,43,45,46) The government did not publicly release information on its criminal law enforcement efforts. Research could not find evidence that a referral mechanism has been set up. (9)

Research has found isolated cases of children being apprehended by the government during anti-terrorism sweeps, and has determined that in the current system, children are often treated as perpetrators. Research disclosed a case of two boys ages 8 and 12 years, respectively, who were picked up in a sweep on the Mali/Burkina border in May 2020. (9) The boys were released later that summer and returned to family with the help of a Burkinabe NGO, but their 17-year-old cousin remains in jail. (9) Research indicates that 15 children, possibly between the ages of 14 and 17, who were allegedly associated with non-state armed groups, were detained by the government and were being held at the High Security Prison outside the capital on terrorism charges. (44) With UNICEF's support, the government created a draft protocol for transferring detained children to their families or the appropriate institutions, which has yet to be finalized. (9,16) As of October 31, 2020, six children associated with armed groups have received support from UNICEF for family tracing, reunification, and family reintegration. (9)

IV. Coordination of Government Efforts on Child Labor

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.

Table 8. Key Mechanisms to Coordinate Government Efforts on Child Labor

Coordinating Body

Role & Description

National Coordination Committee for the National Action Plan to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labor (CNC-PAN/PFTE)*

Defines appropriate strategies for mobilizing the resources necessary to implement the National Strategy to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labor (SN/PFTE). Created in July 2020 by order of the Minister of Labor, comprises representatives from other ministries, civil society organizations, NGOs, unions, and employers. (9) Promotes consultation and synergy of action between the actors involved in SN/PFTE implementation. Validates the annual activity programs of SN/PFTE. (9) Monitors and evaluates the implementation and proposes necessary readjustments. Reviews and adopts the reports submitted to it by the Technical Secretariat. (9) Issues reasoned opinions on any question relating to the worst forms of child labor. (9)

MFPTSS Directorate to Combat Child Labor and its Worst Forms

Coordinates and leads interagency efforts to combat child labor, including its worst forms; collects information on child labor; and conducts awareness-raising activities. Serves as the Secretariat for CNC SN/PFTE. (47) Research was unable to determine whether the Directorate was active during the reporting period.

National Committee for Vigilance and Surveillance Against the Trafficking in Persons and Assimilated Practices (CNVS)

Coordinates actions at the national level to combat the worst forms of child labor, including human trafficking. Oversees Committees for Vigilance and Surveillance in each of the regions. (21) MFSNF serves as the lead agency, with MATDSI playing a secondary role. Includes representatives from MFPTSS, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Women, National Solidarity, Family, and Humanitarian Action, as well as NGOs. (2,16,21) During the reporting period, the CNVS took the lead in organizing patrols, intercepting migrating children, reporting suspected trafficking cases, and offering care for victims of human trafficking. (16)

Child Protection Networks

Assist CNVS with bringing together state and non-state actors, coordinating and facilitating the collection of statistical data on human trafficking, specifically the trafficking of women and children. (9) Established by MFSNF, the networks comprise social workers, magistrates, judges, police officers, health workers, and NGOs in 23 of the country’s 45 provinces. (48) Research was unable to determine whether the Child Protection Networks were active during the reporting period.

Cooperative Agreements with other Countries

Aim to combat cross-border trafficking in children. (2) Research was unable to determine whether cooperation agreements with other countries were active during the reporting period.

Parliamentary Network for the Promotion of Child Rights

Trains government officials on children’s rights, including child labor laws and other issues affecting children. (42)

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

During the reporting period, the government created the National Coordination Committee of the 2019–2023 National Strategy to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labor (CNC-SN/PFTE). The main activities carried out in 2020 took place during two official meetings. (9) The first session, held in September 2020, served to officially install the members of the Comité National de Coordination (CNC) and to strengthen CNC members' knowledge of child labor issues. (9) In addition, it presented the national strategy and its operational action plan, and examined, amended, and validated the tools for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of SN/PFTE. The second session, which took place in December 2020, reviewed and adopted the 2019 implementation report of the 2019–2023 SN/PFTE. (9) As part of the implementation of the 2019–2023 SN/PFTE, the government has established a new mechanism to coordinate initiatives concerning child labor, in particular its worst forms. (9) The CNC-SN/PFTE is made up of representatives from the various ministries responsible for the fight against the worst forms of child labor, representatives from civil society organizations working in the protection of children's rights, social partners (workers' unions and employers), and NGOs. (9) However, all other mechanisms suffer from poor coordination among ministries and a lack of resources, such as computers and electricity, which continued to hamper the government’s ability to coordinate efforts to fully address child trafficking. (23,43)

V. Government Policies on Child Labor

The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including the lack of implementation of policies related to child labor.

Table 9. Key Policies Related to Child Labor

Policy

Description

National Strategy to End the Worst Forms of Child Labor (2019–2023) (SN/PFTE)

Aims to combat the worst forms of child labor in Burkina Faso. (2) Developed by all of the entities involved in this effort—that is, law enforcement agencies focused on child labor and its worst forms, governmental bodies, non-governmental bodies, technical and financial partners, social partners, and civil society organizations, including children's associations. (9) Research was unable to determine whether activities were undertaken to implement the SN/PFTE during the reporting period.

National Child Protection Strategy (2020–2023)†

Aims to strengthen the institutional, community, and family environment to ensure effective protection for children. (49)

† Policy was approved during the reporting period.

VI. Social Programs to Address Child Labor

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 adequacy of programs to address the full scope of the problem.

Table 10. Key Social Programs to Address Child Labor

Program

Description

MFSNF Projects to Combat Human Trafficking†

Aims to combat human trafficking. Includes the operation of transit centers that provide food, medical assistance, and counseling to child trafficking victims and children vulnerable to trafficking. (21,45) Transit centers aim to reintegrate victims into their communities and facilitate repatriation of foreign victims when possible. The National Parenting Program assists parents in managing and educating their children to combat child trafficking. (21) Nationwide media campaigns to combat human trafficking provide advocacy, raise awareness, and build capacity for key actors involved in child protection issues, including child trafficking. (21) Watchdog and monitoring committees ensure that all cases of alleged trafficking of children are reported to the justice system by social workers. (50) During the reporting period, the 34 transit centers run by the MFSNF continued to operate with significant NGO and international organization support. (44)

Campaign to Remove Street Children

Project funded by NGO MinWomen, with coordination by the MFSNF, that began in August 2018 and includes outreach missions in the streets to identify and refer vulnerable children, including forced begging victims, to one of the four youth shelters established in the Somgandé, Basjuy, Nongremassom, and Cissin districts of Ouagadougou. (22,43) In August 2020, the MFSNF launched its third campaign to remove vulnerable children from the streets, including Koranic school students (talibés) exploited in forced begging. As a result of the campaign, the government identified and provided care to 275 vulnerable children. (44)

ILO-Implemented Projects to Combat Child Labor

ILO-implemented projects to combat child labor and forced labor in supply chains. Includes the Eliminating Child Labour and Forced Labour in the Cotton, Textile and Garment Value Chains: an Integrated Approach (2018–2022), a $7.5 million EU and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) initiative of the UN-funded global project to combat child labor and forced labor in cotton and textile supply chains. (51) Research was unable to determine whether activities were undertaken to implement the Eliminating child labour and forced labour in the cotton, textile and garment value chains: an integrated approach project during the reporting period.

World Bank-Funded Projects

Include a $51 million Education Access and Quality Improvement Project to support the government in increasing access to preschool education in the two poorest regions and to secondary education in the five poorest regions, and to improve teaching and education; and a $50 million Social Safety Net Project to provide income support to poor households and lay the foundation for a basic safety net system in Burkina Faso. (52-54) Research was unable to determine whether activities were undertaken to implement World Bank-Funded Projects during the reporting period.

Measurement, Awareness-Raising, and Policy Engagement (MAP 16) Project on Child Labor and Forced Labor (2019–2021)

USDOL-funded global project implemented by the ILO to support global and national efforts aimed at countering child labor and the forced labor of adults and children. Includes the Measurement, Awareness-Raising, and Policy Engagement (MAP 16) Project on Child Labor and Forced Labor (2019–2021), a $170,000 program. (55) Additional information is available on the USDOL website.

† Program is funded by the Government of Burkina Faso.

During the reporting period, 1,993 children, including 726 girls, who were victims of child labor and its worst forms in artisanal gold mines in the Plateau Central and Centre Nord regions received appropriate care and services through UNICEF-supported programs. Some of the services provided to these children included removal, psychosocial support, family tracing and reunification, and access to education and to income-generating activities. (9) UNICEF partners Land of People Lausanno (Terre des Hommes Lausanne) and Association for the Communal Development and the Promotion of the Rights of Children (Association pour le Développement Communautaire et la Promotion des Droits de l'Enfant) worked with government entities to provide appropriate care to children. (9) During the reporting period, 899 children, including 189 girls, who were victims or presumed victims of human trafficking, benefited from social services that were technically and financially supported by UNICEF. In addition, 13,064 children, including 5,727 girls, “in a situation of mobility” and at risk of being victims of human trafficking, benefited from child protection and information or referral services through inter-sectoral one-stop shops. (9)

The National Program for the Fight Against Child Labor on Artisanal Gold Mining Sites and Quarries ended in 2019, and research was unable to determine whether a new phase was issued. Although Burkina Faso has social programs to address the worst forms of child labor in cotton production and gold mining, the scope of these programs is insufficient to fully address the extent of the problem. (1)

VII. Suggested Government Actions to Eliminate Child Labor

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

Table 11. Suggested Government Actions to Eliminate Child Labor

Area

Suggested Action

Year(s) Suggested

Legal Framework

Ensure that laws determine the activities in which light work may be permitted.

2016 – 2020

Enforcement

Ensure that labor law enforcement receives sufficient human and financial resources to fulfill its mandates, including hiring enough labor inspectors to meet ILO recommendations, conducting an adequate number of inspections, and following up after preliminary inspections to ensure remediation of notices to comply with labor law obligations.

2009 – 2020

 

Publish statistics on labor law enforcement efforts, including the labor inspectorate's funding, number and type of labor inspections conducted, the number of child labor violations found, whether refresher courses are provided, the number of penalties imposed and collected, number of inspections conducted at worksites, and the number of targeted and routine inspections.

2009 – 2020

 

Establish and publish data on a mechanism to log all calls to the government child protection hotline and to track cases of child labor for referral to law enforcement or social services providers.

2015 – 2020

 

Ensure that criminal law enforcement authorities and frontline responders apply standard victim identification and referral procedures uniformly.

2016 – 2020

 

Publish statistics on criminal law enforcement efforts, including initial training, refresher courses, investigations undertaken, violations found, prosecutions initiated, convictions obtained, and penalties imposed, and whether a reciprocal referral mechanism exists between criminal authorities and social services.

2016 – 2020

 

Ensure a referral mechanism between criminal authorities and social services is operational.

2019 – 2020

 

Take active measures, including ensuring a mechanism is operational, to ensure that children are not inappropriately incarcerated, penalized, or physically harmed solely for unlawful acts committed as a direct result of their subjection to the worst forms of child labor, such as child soldiering.

2020

Coordination

Publish activities undertaken by the Ministry of Public Service, Labor, and Social Security Directorate to Combat Child Labor and its Worst Forms, the Child Protection Networks, and Cooperation Agreements with other countries.

2020

 

Ensure that coordinating bodies receive adequate resources, such as computers and electricity, to accomplish their mandates.

2015 – 2020

 

Enhance coordination and collaborative processes and procedures among ministries, law enforcement, and social services.

2019 – 2020

Government Policies

Publish activities undertaken to implement the 2019–2023 National Strategy to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labor (SN/PFTE) and the National Child Protection Strategy during the reporting period.

2020

Social Programs

Establish a social program to ensure that IDP and other vulnerable children have access to education and thus reduce their risk of exposure to the worst forms of child labor.

2020

 

Improve access to education by eliminating school-related fees and other costs, such as uniforms, by increasing the number of schools and teachers in rural areas, ensuring access to affordable transportation, as well as ending violence in schools.

2010 – 2020

 

Ensure that children are registered at birth and that IDPs have access to the requisite documentation to gain access to social services, including education.

2010 – 2020

 

Publish activities undertaken to implement Ministry of Women, National Solidarity, and Family Projects to Combat Human Trafficking, and World Bank-Funded Projects.

2020

 

Expand existing programs to fully address child labor in cotton production and gold mining.

2009 – 2020

References
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