Country profile LBR
Context
Context
| Year | Age group | Proportion | Gender | Indicator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5-17 | 20.8 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2020 | 5-17 | 21.5 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2020 | 5-17 | 21.1 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2020 | 5-17 | 26.3 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2020 | 5-17 | 29.4 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2020 | 5-17 | 27.8 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
National Legal Framework
National Legal Framework
| Provision | Legislation date | Convention | Legislation info | sources | Value | sort_order | Provision description | Legislation description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? | 2011-09 | C182 | Children's Law Act, 2011 - Section 3 and Section 22, 22.2 | [{"link_name":"Children's Law Act, 2011","source_link":"https://clr.africanchildforum.org/Legislation%20Per%20Country/liberia/liberia_children_2011_en.pdf"}] | Yes | 9 | C182 defines forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict as a worst form of child labour. Nevertheless, C182 only prohibits the forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18, and does not cover the voluntary recruitment of children under 18. | In its Section 22, 22.22, the Children's Law Act provides that the Ministry of National Defense shall not recruit or conscript any child into military service. The section 3 of that same text defines a child as any person below the age of 18, thus prohibiting the recruitment of any children below that age. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | 2011-09 | C182 | Children's Law Act, 2011 -Section 3. 16.6 | [{"link_name":"Children's Law Act, 2011","source_link":"https://clr.africanchildforum.org/Legislation%20Per%20Country/liberia/liberia_children_2011_en.pdf"}] | Yes | 11 | C182 prohibits the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. | Section 3. 16.6 of the Children's Law Act stipulates that "A parent or any person eighteen years old and above, who sells, sends a child to procure or serves alcoholic beverages, cigarettes or any narcotic or intoxicating drugs to a child or who employs a child in the sale of such beverage, cigarettes or narcotic and intoxicating drugs is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree". |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2011-09 | C182 | Children's Law Act, 2011 - Section 2. and Section 5. | [{"link_name":"Children's Law Act, 2011","source_link":"https://clr.africanchildforum.org/Legislation%20Per%20Country/liberia/liberia_children_2011_en.pdf"}] | Yes | 10 | C182 prohibits the use of a child under the age of 18 for prostitution, regardless of the child's consent. The use, procuring or offering of any person under the age of 18 for commercial sexual exploitation constitutes a worst form of child labour, even if prostitution is a legalised. In regard to the prohibition of child pornography, States need to make sure that national legislation addresses the involvement of a child in the production of pornographic materials, including non-recorded performances. | Section 2. of the Children's Law Act prohibits the action of anyone causing or conducting the seduction, prostitution or abduction of a child. Section 5. of that same text provides that "A person who subjects any child to pornographic material or involves any child in the making of such material is guilty of a third degree felony". This section also prohibits the exposing of a child to media of a sexual or violent nature and the keeping or distributing of child pornographic content. |
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2005-07-05 | C182 | Act to Ban Trafficking in Persons, 2005 - Section 6 | [{"link_name":"Act to Ban Trafficking in Persons, 2005","source_link":"https://clr.africanchildforum.org/Legislation%20Per%20Country/liberia/liberia_trafficking_2005_en.pdf"}] | Yes | 8 | C182 defines all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and serfdom and forced or compulsory labour as worst forms of child labour. | Section 6 of the Trafficking in Persons Act punishes the action of trafficking one or more children for the purpose of prostitution of a sentence up to maximum of 20 years. |
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2015-06-26 | C138 & C182 | Decent Work Act, 2015 - 1.4, c) and 21.4 | [{"link_name":"Decent Work Act, 2015","source_link":"https://csa.gov.lr/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Decent-Work-Act-2015.pdf"}] | 18 | 6 | C138 and C182 set 18 as the minimum age for hazardous work, which is defined as work that, due to its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is likely to jeopardize children’s health, safety or morals. C138 and C182 allow countries to permit hazardous work exceptionally as from 16, provided that the health, safety and morals of the young persons concerned are fully protected and that they have received adequate specific instruction or training. | Section 1.4 of the Decent Work Act, defines a child as a person under the age of 18. Section 21.4, which prohibits dangerous work for children, can therefore be understood as setting the minimum age for such work at 18. |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | 2011-09 | C138 | Children's Law Act, 2011 - Section 9 | [{"link_name":"Children's Law Act, 2011","source_link":"https://clr.africanchildforum.org/Legislation%20Per%20Country/liberia/liberia_children_2011_en.pdf"}] | No | 5 | C138 does not apply to work done in school for general, vocational or technical education or in training institutions or work done by children at least 14 years of age in undertakings, where such work is carried out in accordance with conditions prescribed by the competent authority. Such work must be an integral part of: (i) a course of education or training for which a school or training institution is primarily responsible; (ii) a programme of training mainly or entirely in an undertaking, which programme has been approved by the competent authority; or (iii) a programme of guidance or orientation designed to facilitate the choice of an occupation or of a line of training. | Although Section 9.3 to Section 9.5 of the Children's Act refers to the terms and conditions accompanying apprenticeship contracts for children, it does not set a minimum age for them. |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 2011-04-15 | C138 | Education Act 2011 - 8. (1) | [{"link_name":"Education Act 2011","source_link":"https://pacificdata.org/data/dataset/3a3dfcbc-4e57-4c25-8f6a-a291ef16ba9a/resource/6a95ff32-9ce4-4df0-9fbd-acec9107b52f/download/education-act-2011.pdf"}] | No | 4 | C138 requires that the minimum age for admission to work shall not be less than the age of completion of compulsory schooling and, in any case, shall not be less than 15 years. | In its Section 8, the Education Act provides that "Each parent of a school-age child must ensure the child is enrolled at a school until the child completes the school year during which the child attains the age of 18 years" ; which is below the minimum age of employment of 15 years. |
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | 2015-06-26 | C138 | Decent Work Act, 2015 - 21.3 | [{"link_name":"Decent Work Act, 2015","source_link":"https://csa.gov.lr/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Decent-Work-Act-2015.pdf"}] | Yes | 3 | If the country chooses to allow light work, States must determine what activities are considered light work, and the hours and the circumstances under which they may be carried out. | Section 21.3 of the Decent Work Act stipulates that should be considered light work any activity that "i) is not likely to be harmful to a child's health or safety, moral or material welfare or development; and ii) is not such as to prejudice the child's attendance at school or their capacity to benefit from instruction.". As for the conditions under which a child aged 13 or over may be employed to do light work, these are that he or she works a maximum of two hours a day and fourteen hours a week, and that he or she is employed in compliance with the prescribed procedures. Furthermore, in 2022, the Ministry of Labour endorsed a hazardous and light work lists for children in Liberia. |
| Minimum age for light work | 2015-06-26 | C138 | Decent Work Act, 2015 - 21.3, a) | [{"link_name":"Decent Work Act, 2015","source_link":"https://csa.gov.lr/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Decent-Work-Act-2015.pdf"}] | 13 | 2 | C138 defines light work as work that does not interfere with children’s schooling, or their ability to benefit from it, and that is not hazardous. C138 allows countries to permit light work for children younger than the general minimum age. For countries that set the minimum age at 15, this means children aged 13-14, and for those that set it at 14, children aged 12-13 may engage in light work. | Section 21.3, a) of the Decent Work Act sets the minimum age for light work at 13 years. |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2015-06-26 | C138 | Decent Work Act, 2015 - 21.2 | [{"link_name":"Decent Work Act, 2015","source_link":"https://csa.gov.lr/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Decent-Work-Act-2015.pdf"}] | 15 | 1 | C138 establishes 15 as the minimum age for work in general. Developing countries have the option of setting a minimum age of 14 as a transitional measure as they strengthen their education systems and economies. | Section 21.2 of the Decent Work Act provides that "No person shall employ, or allow a child under the age of 15 years to be employed in full time employment". |
| List of hazardous activities prohibited for children | 2022-06-13 | C138 & C182 | Hazardous and light work lists for children in Liberia | [{"link_name":"CEACR Observation","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=NORMLEXPUB:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID%2CP13100_COUNTRY_ID:4356442%2C102742"}] | Yes | 7 | C138 and C182 require the national determination of a list of hazardous work prohibited for children under 18 years of age. The competent authorities should consult with workers' and employers' organizations to determine what types of employment or work are considered to be hazardous. Such a list shall be periodically examined and revised as necessary. | As noted in an Observation the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) published in 2024, the Hazardous Work List for Children in Liberia, adopted pursuant to section 21.4(b) of the Decent Work Act, 2015, defines the sectors and tasks in which children under 18 years of age may not be engaged in, and the tasks in which children aged 16 and 17 years may engage in, provided safety measures are in place including adequate training and supervision. |
International Legal Framework
International Legal Framework
| Ratification status | Convention | Convention description | Date of ratification | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in-force | C182 | Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) | 02-JUN-2003 | Source |
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 13-JUN-2022 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The plan details the government's efforts to combat human trafficking, including those aimed at assisting child victims, and sets benchmark goals related to human trafficking. It defines the roles and responsibilities for coordinating government support for trafficking victims and ensures shelter and care for children who may have been trafficked. | [{"link_name":"National Action Plan for Trafficking in Persons","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_COUNTRY_ID:4356439,102742:NO"}] | 2019-2024 | National Action Plan for Trafficking in Persons | No information |
| The ESP sets out Liberia’s three main educational objectives to be achieved by 2027. They correspond to the followings : 1- Ensure equal, disability-inclusive access to quality education and training for all, at all levels, with special attention to county imbalances, gender equality, and disadvantaged groups, 2- Develop capable citizens who possess skills that meet the demands of the labour market, and that contribute to national development and prosperity; 3- Improve educational management and leadership that enhances efficient and effective delivery and system resilience. | [{"link_name":"ESP","source_link":"https://educateherlib.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/liberia_esp_2022-1.pdf"}] | 2022-2027 | Education sector plan (ESP) | Ministry of Education |