Country profile SYR
National Legal Framework
National Legal Framework
| Provision | Legislation date | Convention | Legislation info | sources | Value | sort_order | Provision description | Legislation description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | 1993-04-12 | C182 | Law No. 2 of 1993 Drug Law - Article 40 , Article 42. 2 | [{"link_name":"Law No. 2 of 1993 Drug Law","source_link":"https://alp-city.sy/File/DataBank/file/eL2YKYkOuHAQFzOlTYS438GcyNw7RbNeKWEVc7XZ.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 40 of the Law prohibits the acquiring, achieving, purchasing, selling, delivering of narcotics. Article 42. 2 raises the penalty attributed for the committing of such offence in cases where substances have been provided to a minor or where he or she has been forced to engage in any means of duress, fraud, unseen or enticing. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2010-07-01 | C182 | Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons -Article 1. 3 ; Article 5 an Article 7. 2. A | [{"link_name":"Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons","source_link":"http://parliament.gov.sy/arabic/index.php?node=201&nid=4512&ref=tree&"}] | 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 1.3 of the Decree defines a child as a person below the age of 18 years. For its part, Article 5 of the Text stipulates that "The sexual exploitation of a child, in any form of practice, or by photographing his sexual organs, or by pornographic performances, in exchange for any form of compensation, whether direct or indirect, shall be considered human trafficking.". Article 7. 2. A punishes the crime of trafficking in persons. |
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2010-07-01 | C182 | Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Persons - Article 1. 3. ; Article 7. 2. A and Article Article 8. 1. | [{"link_name":"Legislative Decree No. 3 of 2010 Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Person","source_link":"http://parliament.gov.sy/arabic/index.php?node=201&nid=4512&ref=tree&"}] | 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 7. 2. A. punishes the commission of the crimes of trafficking in persons and Article 8. 1. aggravates the penalties of such offence if committed on a child, which Article 1. 3 defines as a person under the age of 18 years. |
| List of hazardous activities prohibited for children | 2001-01-28 | C138 & C182 | Decision No. 182 amending the List of occupations in which children under sixteen may not be employed | [{"link_name":"Decision No. 182","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/59598/SYR59598.PDF"}] | 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. | This Decision lists 17 occupations in which minors under 16 may not be employed unless they produce a medical certificate that testifies to their health and physical ability to undertake the work. |
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2001-01-28 | C138 & C182 | Decision No. 182 amending the List of occupations in which children under sixteen may not be employed. | [{"link_name":"Decision No. 182","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/59598/SYR59598.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. | This Decision sets the list of occupations in which minors under 16 may not be employed unless they produce a medical certificate that testifies to their health and physical ability to undertake the work, thus setting the minimum age for admission to hazardous work to 16 years. |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | 1979-06-20 | C138 | Order No. 3696 of 20 June 1979 - Section 21 | [{"link_name":"CEACR Direct Request","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_LANG_CODE:2242593,en:NO"}] | 15 | 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. | In a Direct Request published in 2005, the CEACR notes the Government’s statement that section 15(a) of Chapter 4 of the Internal Statutes of Vocational Training Centres, issued by virtue of Order No. 3696 of 20 June 1979, and section 21 of the same Order specify the minimum age of 15 years for candidates to be accepted for training. It further notes the Government’s information that Order No. 183 of 2001, which provides for a list of industries and occupations that may not employ young persons under the age of 18, exempts from its application, by virtue of section 4, industrial schools and the different institutes and establishments, vocational education and training centres, provided that their internal statutes contain safeguards which monitor young persons and protect them. Young persons must be in possession of a medical certificate delivered by the health department and indicating their physical fitness for the work they are undertaking. The Committee notes that by virtue of the abovementioned provisions young persons from the age of 15 years may be engaged in types of hazardous work during their apprenticeship. |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 2012-02-27 | C138 | Law No. 7 of 2012 Obligating parents of Syrian children to enrol their children in primary schools - Article 2 | [{"link_name":"Law No. 7 of 2012 Obligating parents of Syrian children to enrol their children in primary schools","source_link":"https://media.unesco.org/sites/default/files/webform/r2e002/7d68c1bfed8da126140086e8ef8caf2e65228461.pdf"}] | Yes | 4 | C138 requires member States to align the age of completion of compulsory education with the minimum age for admission to employment or work. | Article 2 of the Law No. 7 of 2012 Obligating parents of Syrian children to enrol their children in primary schools states that all parents of Syrian children whose child is aged between 6 and 15 years are required to enrol them in primary schools which corresponds to the minimum age of admission to work. |
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | 1958 | C138 | Law on Agricultural Relations No. 134 of 1958, as amended by Law. No. 34 of 2000 - Section 38 (2). | [{"link_name":"CEACR Direct Request","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_COUNTRY_ID:2282121,102923"}] | 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. | In a Direct Request published in 2008, the CEACR notes that, "with regard to agricultural work, section 38(2) of the Law on Agricultural Relations No. 134 of 1958, as amended by Law. No. 34 of 2000, allows children aged between 13 and 15 years to perform light tasks to be defined by the Minister of Social Affairs and Labour. The Committee had requested the Government to indicate whether the competent authority has determined the light work activities which may be undertaken by children between 13 and 15 years of age. The Committee notes with interest the Government’s information that section 1 of Order No. 972 of 7 May 2006, promulgated by the Minister of Social Affairs and Labour after having solicited the views of the Peasant Federation, specifies light tasks as the following: (1) spreading, patching and planting seeds and arboreta; (2) fruit gathering and picking; (3) manual powdering; (4) preparing, cleaning and packaging in small packets; (5) piercing tobacco; (6) providing fodder and water to animals; and (7) working in plant nurseries and gardens.". However, it is worth noting that this provision only concerns agricultural work. |
| Minimum age for light work | 1958 | C138 | Law on Agricultural Relations No. 134 of 1958, as amended by Law. No. 34 of 2000 - Section 38 (2) | [{"link_name":"CEACR Direct Request","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_COUNTRY_ID:2282121,102923"}] | 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. | In a Direct Request published in 2008, the CEACR notes that "with regard to agricultural work, section 38(2) of the Law on Agricultural Relations No. 134 of 1958, as amended by Law. No. 34 of 2000, allows children aged between 13 and 15 years to perform light tasks to be defined by the Minister of Social Affairs and Labour. The Committee had requested the Government to indicate whether the competent authority has determined the light work activities which may be undertaken by children between 13 and 15 years of age". It should however be noted that this provision only concerns agricultural work. |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2010-04-12 | C138 | Labour Law (No. 17 of 2010) - Articles 113. a. and 118 | [{"link_name":"Labour Law (No. 17 of 2010)","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/syr222436E.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. | Article 113. a. of the Labour Law prohibits the employment of children before they complete elementary schooling or before they reach the age of fifteen. However, Article 118 of that same Text stipulates that such prohibition should not apply in cases where the child is working in domestic industries restricted too family members, under supervision of the father, mother, brother or uncle. |
| Is forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? | 2013-06-30 | C182 | Law No. 11 of 2013 amending the Legislative Decree No. 148 of 1949 concerning the Penal Code | [{"link_name":"Law No. 11 of 2013","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/96560/96560.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. | This amendment adds an additional Article to the Penal Code, which criminalizes all forms of recruitment and use of children under the age of 18 by armed forces and armed groups, including taking part in direct combat, carrying and transporting weapons or equipment or ammunition, planting explosions, standing at checkpoints or carrying out surveillance or reconnaissance, acting as a distraction or human shield or assisting and/or serving the perpetrators in any way or form. |
International Legal Framework
International Legal Framework
| Ratification status | Convention | Convention description | Date of ratification | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 18-SEP-2001 | Source |
| in-force | C182 | Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) | 22-MAY-2003 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In an Observation published in 2025, the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) noted the Government's information that the MoSAL and the SAFPA developed a NPA-WFCL. | [{"link_name":"CEACR Observation","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_COUNTRY_ID:4369032,102923:NO"}] | No information | National Plan of Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (NPA-WFCL) | Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour (MoSAL), Syrian Authority for Family and Population Affairs (SAFPA) |