Children in Georgia are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in forced begging, sometimes as a result of human trafficking. Children also engage in child labor in agriculture. (1-4) Table 1 provides key indicators on children's work and education in Georgia.

Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2019, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2021. (2)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis of statistics from National Child Labor Survey (NCLS), 2015. (3)

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.

Georgia is a source and transit country for child trafficking, especially of girls to Turkey and the United Arab Emirates for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation. (6,10) Limited evidence indicates children may perform hazardous activities in construction. (11) Roma and Azerbaijani Kurd ethnic minorities and refugee and internally displaced children from Georgia, Armenia, and Moldova are subjected to forced begging and coerced into criminality in Georgia. (6-10,12) Estimates suggest that 1,000 to 2,000 children earn a living by begging, primarily caused by poverty or domestic violence. (4,6,7) During the reporting period, fewer children were reported to be engaged in begging as a result of economic contraction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a reduction in the tourism industry. (8) Many of the child beggars are from Roma communities. (6,8)

Lack of information limits an assessment of the types of work children perform and the sectors in which they work in the occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which are occupied by Russian forces and not under control of the central government. (1,4,10,13)

Children who do not attend school in Georgia are vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor. Socially vulnerable children, children from impoverished families, children with disabilities, and those who live in rural areas may have difficulty accessing education, in part due to a lack of identity documents. (1,12,14) Although the law provides a path for homeless and transient children to obtain identity documents, government outreach remains insufficient to address the issue. (12) During the reporting period, the government issued 12 temporary identification documents to minor foreign nationals (8 for homeless children and 4 for children victims of violence), 10 identity cards, 1 temporary residence card, and 5 biometric passports to homeless children and child victims of violence. (15) The identity cards ensure that such children are provided with additional state-funded services, including social, medical, and educational programs. (1) In addition, some children from Roma communities lack identity documents, and therefore have challenges accessing education. (12) However, UNICEF notes that some families continue to destroy identification and other documents in an effort to avoid interaction with state officials. (7,16)

Georgia 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 Georgia's legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the minimum age for work.

‡ Age calculated based on available information (25)

The new Code on the Rights of the Child entered into force in June 2020, establishing the right of children to be protected from harmful activities and forbidding forms of exploitation, including child labor and commercial sexual exploitation. (1,23) In addition, in November, the Healthcare Minister approved a decree that defines hazardous work and lists activities and occupations prohibited for children under age 18 including industrial work such as mining and construction, and work involving exposure to extreme temperatures, hazardous chemicals, or potentially dangerous elements, such as electricity or munitions. (26) In July, Parliament adopted amendments to the Criminal Code that strengthen penalties for child pornography. (8,22)

The labor law governing the minimum age for work is not in compliance with international standards because it does not apply to informal work. (17,27) The compulsory education age leaves children who are age 15 vulnerable to the worst forms of child labor because they are not required to be in school but are not legally permitted to work full time. Article 4 of the Labor Code specifies conditions under which children ages 14 and 15 may perform light work, and Article 14 prescribes the hours, but the law does not specify the activities in which light work is permissible. (17,27) Article 4 of the Labor Code stipulates that children under age 14 are allowed to work only in sport, art, and culture, as well as some advertising activities. (17,27) Lastly, Georgia’s laws do not criminally prohibit the use, procuring, and offering of children for the production or trafficking of drugs. (22)

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.

In 2020, Parliament adopted a new Law on Labor Inspection that defines the basic scope, jurisdiction, and power of inspections, as well as the rights and obligations of the Labor Inspection Service. It also ensures effective implementation of labor laws.

The mandate of the Labor Inspectorate applies to all labor rights determined by the Labor Code, Law on Public Service, including forced labor, labor exploitation and occupational safety and health (OSH) norms as determined by the Organic Law of Georgia on Occupational Safety. (1,32) However, research indicates the Labor Inspectorate does not have the staff, resources, and training to fully conduct labor oversight responsibilities. (8,10)

In December 2020, the Prosecutor's Office met virtually with a working group that includes the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA), the Labor Inspectorate, and the Agency for State Care to discuss the challenges of detecting labor exploitation and child labor cases during the pandemic. This working group has met regularly since its establishment in 2017 as part of a 5-year strategy to address the difficulties of detecting and prosecuting child labor and forced labor. (1)
The Russia-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia are not under the control of Georgian central authorities, who are prevented from carrying out inspections and law enforcement there. (1,13)

Labor Law Enforcement

In 2020, labor law enforcement agencies in Georgia took actions to combat child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the operations of the Ministry of Labor, Health, and Social Affairs (MoLHSA) that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including resource allocation.

In September, Parliament adopted a new law that defines the role and authority of labor inspectors and the rights and obligations of the Labor Inspection Service. The mandate of the Labor Inspectorate applies to all labor issues, including forced labor and labor exploitation, collective bargaining agreements, and OSH norms. (1) Although the number of inspections increased significantly from 2019, the majority of inspections were conducted based on pandemic-related regulations. (1) Out of the 21,081 inspections conducted, only 188 inspections were conducted on OSH issues, and 90 inspections were conducted on forced labor and labor exploitation, including child labor. Although inspections took place throughout the country and in a range of economic sectors, no inspections were conducted in agriculture. (1) In 2021, new amendments to the Labor Inspectorate's mandate will come into effect that will grant labor inspectors the authority to conduct inspections on private farms and homes. (1,17)

The government reported a twofold budget increase for the Labor Inspectorate in 2020. (1,32,33) Despite a notable increase from 2019, the number of labor inspectors is still likely insufficient for the size of Georgia's workforce, which includes around 1.9 million workers. (35) In January, the government adopted a decree to increase the number of labor inspectors to 100 in accord with the ILO’s technical advice of a ratio approaching 1 inspector for every 20,000 workers in transition economies, but this goal was not met during the reporting period. (1,32,33,36,37) In September, in close cooperation with the ILO, the Labor Inspectorate trained 57 newly recruited labor inspectors on identification of forced labor and labor exploitation cases. (8) The inspectors continue to cover labor issues related to both children and adults, including a specialized unit responsible for identifying child labor and trafficking violations. However, the government reported that only six inspectors were tasked with monitoring labor code violations, and the remainder were focused solely on OSH concerns. (1,33)

Criminal Law Enforcement

In 2020, the government's criminal law enforcement agencies appeared to function adequately in addressing child labor (Table 7).

Law enforcement agencies received training on addressing the most relevant forms of child labor, including forced child labor, child trafficking, and commercial exploitation and use of children in illicit activities. In November, the MoJ and the International Center for Migration Policy Development, with support from the EU, conducted training on human trafficking and interviewing potential victims, as well as methods of identifying child labor and child forced begging. (1) The government employs Witness and Victim Coordinators, who participate in court proceedings by advocating for the interests of witnesses and victims and work to avoid re-victimization. Between April and December 2020, Witness and Victim Coordinators assisted 12 minor victims of trafficking in persons. (8) The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia (POG) conducted six training activities for prosecutors and investigators, including training covering human trafficking, child exploitation, online sexual exploitation of children, and usage of crypto currency within the sphere of child pornography. (8) The POG also launched a new 3 month-long training course for prosecutors on combating trafficking in persons. (1)

Following a 2019 joint Georgian, U.S., Australian, and Europol investigation of a child trafficking ring, in 2020, Georgian authorities convicted 23 people on multiple charges, including child trafficking and producing or selling child pornography. Sentences for those convicted ranged from 3 to 20 years' imprisonment, as well as fines and property confiscation. (1,8) In addition, the MoIA initiated investigations into four alleged cases of forced begging of minors, resulting in one prosecution of a case involving two children. (1,8) Three other individuals were convicted of labor exploitation of minors. (1)

Criminal investigators were unable to investigate and prosecute any potential human trafficking cases, including of children, in Abkhazia and South Ossetia because they remain occupied by Russian forces and outside of central government control. (1,6,38)

The MoIA continued to support the operation of six mobile task force units dedicated to anti-trafficking activities. The task force units continued to proactively interview individuals in vulnerable occupations and demographics, including hospitality workers and children living and working on the streets, to identify possible cases of labor exploitation and to advise them of their legal rights and available government services. (15)

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 coordination among agencies.

In 2020, the Interagency Human Rights Council met for the first time in several years to discuss the protection of human rights during the pandemic. (1,41) The Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee, with financial support from UNICEF, established a “Child Hotline” through the State Care Agency that provides free assistance to children by connecting them to the relevant governmental and non-governmental agencies. The hotline can provide both over-the-phone and in-person psychological support and counseling services for children and parents. (1)

The government developed a new coordination system between state agencies and municipalities in accord with the Code on the Rights of the Child. The Permanent Parliamentary Council on Protection of the Rights of the Child coordinated the establishment of Child Care and Protection units in 64 municipalities, and the government provided retraining to up to 200 social workers and 64 Code coordinators, as well as judges, lawyers, legal aid officers, and public servants. (1,8,15)

The Inter-Agency Anti-Trafficking Coordination Council for the Implementation of Measures Against Human Trafficking (A-TIP Council) began drafting the Governmental Strategy for 2021–2025 on Protection of Homeless Children from Violence, including Trafficking in Persons. (1) In December, the A-TIP Council’s Secretariat issued a 2021–2022 State Action Plan, which addresses new challenges caused by the pandemic and provides for increased activities to detect online human trafficking recruitment. During the year, the Secretariat organized joint thematic meetings of different agencies to discuss human trafficking challenges. (1,8) The Central Criminal Police Department and MoLHSA’s Labor Inspectorate began drafting an update to their Memorandum of Mutual Cooperation. However, a lack of transparency and clarity among the various coordinating bodies still hinders cooperation between them, the Labor Inspectorate, and law enforcement. (1,10,16)

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

‡ The government had other policies that may have addressed child labor issues or had an impact on child labor. (12,45)

Although the government has established policies to address child begging, child trafficking, child labor in street work, and hazardous child labor, it does not have a policy to address child labor in agriculture.

In 2020, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating 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 is funded by the Government of Georgia.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor. (1,6,12,49)

During the reporting period, the government conducted regular awareness-raising campaigns related to trafficking in persons. (1) The MoJ, in cooperation with IOM, conducted an awareness campaign in October focusing on forced begging with the message “Danger might be invisible at first.” The campaign’s video clips were published through social networks and television broadcast, and banners were placed in Public Service Halls of most major cities, as well as at bus stops in Batumi and Tbilisi. (1,50) Although Georgia has programs that target child labor, the scope of these programs is insufficient to fully address the extent of the problem, especially regarding street children. (1,51) The Agency for State Care continued to operate crisis centers and shelters with additional precautions in place to prevent the spread of the pandemic, remained active in removing begging children from the streets, and provided services to 275 children in 2020. (1,8) Two child victims of forced begging were identified and referred to the Crisis Service Center in Tbilisi, where they received medical, social, psychological, and other relevant services. (1)

Due to the pandemic causing schools to move to distance learning, the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport (MoES) created platforms for distance learning and launched the “TV School” educational project to broadcast the national curriculum’s standard lessons in Georgian, minority languages, and sign language. (1) The MoES also worked to make learning content available to children in penitentiary institutions and reviewed all vocational education programs to identify the components that could be delivered remotely. Vocational programs enrolled 9,500 students during the reporting period. (1,52) However, the Public Defender of Georgia noted that educational access remains inadequate for vulnerable children, including students with disabilities, street children, and children in state care. (1,53)

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

1. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. Reporting, January 15, 2021.
2. 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/
3. ILO. Analysis of Child Economic Activity and School Attendance Statistics from National Household or Child Labor Surveys. Original data from National Child Labor Survey (NCLS), 2015. Analysis received March 2021. Please see “Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
4. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. Reporting, January 14, 2020.
5. ILO and National Statistics Office of Georgia (GEOSTAT). Georgia National Child Labour Survey 2015 Analytical Report. 2016.
   http://www.ilo.org/ipec/Informationresources/WCMS_IPEC_PUB_28635/lang--en/index.htm
6. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. Reporting. March 1, 2019.
7. UNICEF. Children Living and/or Working in the Streets of Georgia. Tbilisi: UNICEF. July 2018.
   https://www.unicef.org/georgia/reports/children-living-andor-working-streets-georgia
8. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. Reporting. February 24, 2021.
9. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. Reporting, February 13, 2020.
10. U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2020: Georgia. Washington, DC, June 16, 2020.
    https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-trafficking-in-persons-report/georgia
11. JAM News. Tbilisi: 16-year-old teenager died working on a construction site. July 17, 2019.
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12. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. Reporting. February 11, 2019.
13. U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2019: Georgia. Washington, DC, March 11, 2020.
    https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/GEORGIA-2019-HUMAN-RIGHTS-REPORT.pdf
14. Gogoberidze, Khatia and Nino Memanishvili. Georgia: the children left outside the classroom. JAMNews. April 2, 2019.
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15. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. Communication to USDOL official. February 18, 2021.
16. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. E-mail Communication to USDOL official. July 6, 2020.
17. Government of Georgia. Labour Code of Georgia. Enacted: 2010. Accessed June 10, 2021.
    https://matsne.gov.ge/en/document/view/1155567
18. Government of Georgia. Occupational Safety Law. March 4, 2019.
    https://matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/4486188?publication=0
19. Government of Georgia. Resolution No. 381 Approving the list of dangerous, heavy, harmful and hazardous works. Enacted: July 27, 2018.
    https://www.matsne.gov.ge/ka/document/view/4277583…?publication=0
20. Government of Georgia. The Constitution of Georgia. Enacted: 1995.
    http://myrights.gov.ge/uploads/file-manager/Constitution_13_10_17_ENG.pdf
21. Government of Georgia. Law of Georgia on Combating Human Trafficking. Enacted: June 16, 2006.
    https://matsne.gov.ge/en/document/view/26152
22. Government of Georgia. Criminal Code of Georgia. Enacted: 1999.
    http://legislationline.org/documents/section/criminal-codes
23. Government of Georgia. Children's Rights Code. Enacted: September 20, 2019.
    https://info.parliament.ge/#law-drafting/17229
24. Government of Georgia. Law of Georgia on Military Duty and Military Service. Enacted: 1997.
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25. Government of Georgia. Law of Georgia on General Education. Enacted: April 8, 2005.
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26. Government of Georgia. On approval of the list of hard, harmful and dangerous works for a person under 18 years of age. November 30, 2020.
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27. ILO Committee of Experts. Individual Direct Request concerning Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)- Georgia (Ratification: 1996). Published: 2016.
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28. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. March 22, 2019.
29. Government of Georgia. Report submitted by the Georgian authorities on measures taken to comply with Committee of the Parties Recommendation CP(2012)5 on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, November 17, 2014.
    https://www.refworld.org/docid/5858104f4.html
30. Government of Georgia. Human Trafficking, Ministry of Internal Affairs. Cited: December 1, 2014.
    http://police.ge/en/projects/you-are-not-for-sale
31. Government of Georgia. Prosecutor's Office of Georgia: History. Website. Accessed March 18, 2020.
    http://pog.gov.ge/en/history
32. Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Genadi Arveladze and Deputy Minister of Labor Tamila Barkalaia. GSP Subcommittee. Public Hearing for U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Review of Country Practices. January 30, 2020.
    https://beta.regulations.gov/document/USTR-2018-0007-0057
33. Government of Georgia. E-mail Communication to USDOL official. December 4, 2020.
34. Government of Georgia. Law on Rights of Responsibilities of the Labor Inspectorate. February 13, 2020.
    https://matsne.gov.ge/document/view/4796359?publication=0&fbclid=IwAR0erNEOnwTCul3_sgIRcOr9xuWeSi5llRCP5fp1hj7cIJxZwYTqGaS4uto
35. CIA. The World Factbook. Accessed August 8, 2019. Please see “Labor Law Enforcement: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
    https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries
36. ILO. Strategies and Practice for Labour Inspection. November 2006: GB.297/ESP/3. Please see “Labor Law Enforcement: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
    http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/gb/docs/gb297/pdf/esp-3.pdf
37. UN. World Economic Situation and Prospects 2017, Statistical Annex. 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
38. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. Reporting. July 12, 2019.
39. European Network of National Human Rights Institutions. Public Defender (Ombudsman) of Georgia. Accessed January 21, 2021.
    http://ennhri.org/our-members/georgia/
40. Parliament of Georgia. About Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee. Accessed January 21, 2021.
    http://www.parliament.ge/en/saparlamento-saqmianoba/komitetebi/adamianis-uflebata-dacvisa-da-samoqalaqo-integraciis-komiteti/komitetis-shesaxeb
41. Government of Georgia. Minutes of the Session of Interagency Human Rights Council. June 12, 2020.
    http://myrights.gov.ge/uploads/files/docs/85071593441841866243.pdf
42. Government of Georgia. National Human Rights Action Plan for 2018–2020. 2018.
    http://myrights.gov.ge/ka/plan/Action Plan 2020
43. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. Reporting. March 2, 2018.
44. Government of Georgia. 2019–2020 National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. December 24, 2018. Source on file.
45. Government of Georgia. Child Protection Referral Procedures. September 12, 2016. Source on file.
46. U.S. Embassy- Tbilisi. Reporting. February 11, 2016.
47. Danielyan, Edita and Lidz, Lena Jedwab. Labor Safety Reforms in Georgia: Why CIPE and the Solidarity Center are Joining Forces to Tackle Compliance Challenges. Center for International Public Enterprise. November 20, 2020.
    https://www.cipe.org/blog/2020/11/20/labor-safety-reforms-in-georgia-why-cipe-and-the-solidarity-center-are-joining-forces-to-tackle-compliance-challenges/
48. U.S. Department of Labor. Strengthening Labor Law Enforcement.
    https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/strengthening-labor-law-enforcement
49. Baum, Tinatin, et al. Continuous Improvement: Strengthening Georgia's Targeted Social Assistance Program. The World Bank. 2016.
    https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/24812/9781464809002.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y
50. International Organization for Migration. Tblisi's Banksy Helps IOM Mark European Anti-Trafficking Day in Georgia. October 23, 2020.
    https://rovienna.iom.int/story/tblisi-s-banksy-helps-iom-mark-european-anti-trafficking-day-georgia
51. UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Concluding observations on the report submitted by Georgia under Article 12(1) of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography. CRC/C/OPSC/GEO/CO/1. October 30, 2019.
    https://undocs.org/en/CRC/C/OPSC/GEO/CO/1
52. Government of Georgia. Human Rights Protection During the COVID-19 Crisis. July 10, 2020.
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53. Interpressnews. According to the Public Defender, the inclusive educational process is flawed. December 10, 2020.
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