Country profile QAT
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? | 2018-04-04 | C182 | Law No. (5) of 2018 regarding National Service - Article 7 | [{"link_name":"Law No. (5) of 2018 regarding National Service","source_link":"https://www.almeezan.qa/LawView.aspx?opt&LawID=7592&language=ar#Section_18028"}] | 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. | Article 7 of the Law states that "The Minister or his delegate may, based on his desire, recruit anyone to whom the provisions of this law do not apply, provided that he is not less than eighteen years of age" thus prohibiting the recruitment of children below that age in State armed forces. However, it should be noted that such prohibition does not extend to the recruitment of children into any other kind of armed groups. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | 1987-04-06 | C182 | Law No. 9 of 1987 on Control and Regulation of Control and Regulation of Narcotic Drugs and Dangerous Psychotropic Substances (NDDPS) - Article 35 | [{"link_name":"Law No. 9 of 1987 on Control and Regulation of Control and Regulation of Narcotic Drugs and Dangerous Psychotropic Substances","source_link":"https://sherloc.unodc.org/cld/uploads/res/document/qat/1987/law_no__9_of_1987_on_control_and_regulation_of_narcotic_drugs_and_dangerous_psychotropic_substances_html/Law_No._9_of_1987_on_Control_and_Regulation_of_Narcotic_Drugs_and_Dangerous_Psychotropic_Substances_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. | Article 35 of the Law prohibits the production and trafficking of drugs where the offender has taken part in the commission of an offence involving a minor under 18 years of age or where the person to whom the NDDPS was supplied was a minor under 18 years of age. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2011-10-24 | C182 | Law No. 15 of 2011 Combating Trafficking in Human Beings - Article (2) and Article (15) 1. | [{"link_name":"Law No. 15 of 2011 Combating Trafficking in Human Beings","source_link":"https://antislaverylaw.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Qatar-Trafficking-in-Persons-Law-English.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. | Article (2) of the Law defines as human trafficking the offence of whoever "recruits , transports, submits, harbors, receives a natural person in any form, whether inside a state territory or across its national borders, through the use of force, violence or threat to use any of them or through abduction, fraud, misrepresentations or through the abuse of power or by exploiting a position of vulnerability or need or by promising to provide or receive of payments or benefits to achieve the consent of a person having control over another person for the purpose of exploitation in whatever form". On another hand, the Article states that exploitation should include the prostitution of others as well as pornography. For its part, Article (15) 1. punishes the commission of an offence of human trafficking on a child, thus punishing the committing of human trafficking for the purpose of prostitution or pornographic exploitation on children. |
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2011-10-24 | C182 | Law No. (15) of 2011 On Combating Trafficking in Human Beings - Article (2), Article (14) and Article (15) 1. | [{"link_name":"Law No. (15) of 2011 On Combating Trafficking in Human Beings","source_link":"https://antislaverylaw.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Qatar-Trafficking-in-Persons-Law-English.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. | Article (2) of the Law states that exploitation shall include the prostitution of others or any forms of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking of children, which Article 14 prohibits. Article (15) 1, for its part, increases the penalty for committing such a crime when the victim is a child. |
| List of hazardous activities prohibited for children | 2005-09-25 | C138 & C182 | Minister of Civil Service Affairs and Housing Decree No. 15/2005 concerning prohibited jobs for young workers ; Law no (22) of 2004 Regarding Promulgating the Civil Code - Article 49 | [{"link_name":"-Minister of Civil Service Affairs and Housing Decree No. 15/2005 concerning prohibited jobs for young workers","source_link":"https://www.almeezan.qa/LawView.aspx?opt&LawID=1857&language=ar"},{"link_name":"-Law no (22) of 2004 Regarding Promulgating the Civil Code","source_link":"https://www.almeezan.qa/LawView.aspx?LawID=2559"}] | 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. | The Decree provides the list of the 23 jobs prohibited to minors. Given that Article 49 of the Law no (22) of 2004 Regarding Promulgating the Civil Code sets the age of majority to 18 years, this list of jobs is prohibited to all children under that age. |
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2004-05-19 | C138 & C182 | Labour Law - Article (1) 7. and Article (87) | [{"link_name":"Labour Law","source_link":"https://beoe.gov.pk/files/legal-framework/labor-laws/State-of-Qatar-Labor-Law.pdf"}] | 16 | 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. | Article (1) 7. of the Law defines a juvenile as "any natural person who has reached the age of sixteen but has not reached the age of eighteen". Article (87) prohibits the employment of Juveniles in works where its nature and circumstance of the performance of which may cause damage to the health, safety or morals thereof. This Article also stipulates that Juveniles cannot be employed without the consent of their father or guardian and the issuance of a special permission from the Department. Should the Juvenile be a Qatari pupil, an approval from the Minister of Education shall be obtained. |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 2001-09-29 | C138 | Law No. (25) of 2001 on Mandatory Education - Articles 2 and 3 ; Law No. (9) of 2017 Regulating Schools - Article 5 | [{"link_name":"-Law No. (25) of 2001 on Mandatory Education","source_link":"https://www.almeezan.qa/LawArticles.aspx?LawTreeSectionID=12939&lawId=3973&language=en#:~:text=Education%20shall%20be%20mandatory%20and,provide%20for%20all%20educational%20requirements."},{"link_name":"-Law No. (9) of 2017 Regulating Schools","source_link":"https://www.almeezan.qa/LawView.aspx?opt&LawID=7251&language=ar"}] | 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. | Article 2 of the Law states that education is compulsory for all children from the beginning of the Primary stage of education to the end of the Secondary stage of education or when the child receiving such education becomes 18 years of age whichever is the sooner. Given that Article 3 of the same Text states that 6 years should be the age of the beginning of the mandatory schooling period, and that Article 5 of the Law No. (9) of 2017 Regulating Schools defines the educational stages and duration of study as follows : "Primary stage: six academic years ; Preparatory stage: three academic years ; Secondary stage three academic years", it can be concluded that the age of completion of compulsory education is 18 years, which is above the minimum age of admission to work of 16 years. |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | 2004-05-19 | C138 | Labour Law - Article (13) | [{"link_name":"Labour Law","source_link":"https://beoe.gov.pk/files/legal-framework/labor-laws/State-of-Qatar-Labor-Law.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. | Part II of the Labour Law outlines the terms and conditions of employment in vocational training. Article (13), notably, stipulates that "the Apprentice shall contract by himself with the employer unless the age of the Apprentice is below eighteen years in which case the Apprentice shall contract through his guardian or trustee as the case may be". However, there is no legal provision specifying a minimum age for admission to apprenticeship. |
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | N/A | C138 | N/A | [{"link_name":"N/A","source_link":"N/A"}] | N/A | 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. | No information were found on the determination of the activities that are considered light work, thus implying that no such law has been implemented. |
| Minimum age for light work | N/A | C138 | N/A | [{"link_name":"N/A","source_link":"N/A"}] | N/A | 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. | No information were found on the minimum age for light work, thus implying that no such law has been implemented. |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2004-05-19 | C138 | Labour Law - Article (86) | [{"link_name":"Labour Law","source_link":"https://beoe.gov.pk/files/legal-framework/labor-laws/State-of-Qatar-Labor-Law.pdf"}] | 16 | 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. | Article (86) of the Labour Law sets the minimum age for admission to work to 16 years. |
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) | 30-MAY-2000 | Source |
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 03-JAN-2006 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No evidence of a policy against Child Labour was found. | [{"link_name":"N/A","source_link":"N/A"}] | N/A | N/A | N/A |