Country profile TGO

Context

Context

Year Age group Proportion Gender Indicator Source
2017 5-17 34.5 Male Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) Source
2017 5-17 31.2 Female Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) Source
2017 5-17 32.9 Male & Female Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) Source
2017 5-17 38.4 Male Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) Source
2017 5-17 38.5 Female Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) Source
2017 5-17 38.5 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 the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? 2021-06-18 C182 Labour Code Law n°2021‐012 - Article.192. c) [{"link_name":"Labour Code Law n°2021\u2010012","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tog213551.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.192. c) of the Law prohibits the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, production and trafficking of drugs, as defined in the relevant international conventions.
Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? 2021-06-18 C182 Labour Code Law n°2021‐012 - Article 192. b) [{"link_name":"Labour Code Law n°2021\u2010012","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tog213551.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 192. b) of the Law prohibits the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, production of pornographic material or pornographic performances.
Is forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? 2021-06-18 C182 Labour Code Law n°2021‐012 - Article.192. a) [{"link_name":"Labour Code Law n°2021\u2010012","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tog213551.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. Article.192. a) of the Law prohibits forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflicts.
Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? 2021-06-18 C182 Labour Code Law n°2021‐012 -Article.192. a) [{"link_name":"Labour Code Law n°2021\u2010012","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tog213551.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.192. a) of the Law prohibits all forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking, debt bondage and serfdom, and forced or compulsory labour.
Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship 2021-06-18 C138 Labour Code Law n°2021‐012 - Article.122. [{"link_name":"Labour Code Law n°2021\u2010012","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tog213551.pdf"}] 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. Article.122. of the Code sets the minimum age for apprenticeship to 15 years.
Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? 1992-09-27 C138 Constitution - Article 35. [{"link_name":"Constitution","source_link":"https://assemblee-nationale.tg/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/constitution-consolidee-derniere-version.pdf"}] Yes 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 35 of the Constitution sets the age of completion of compulsory education to 15 years, which corresponds to the minimum age for admission to work.
List of hazardous activities prohibited for children 2020-05-22 C138 & C182 Decree n° 1556/MPFTRAPS determining hazardous jobs forbidden to children in Togo [{"link_name":"Decree n° 1556/MPFTRAPS determining hazardous jobs forbidden to children in Togo","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/110579/TGO-110579.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. Such a list shall be periodically examined and revised as necessary. The Decree provides with a list of hazardous jobs prohibited to children below the age of 18 years.
Minimum age for hazardous work 2020-05-2022 C138 & C182 Decree n° 1556/MPFTRAPS determining hazardous jobs forbidden to children in Togo - Article 7 [{"link_name":"Decree n° 1556/MPFTRAPS determining hazardous jobs forbidden to children in Togo","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/110579/TGO-110579.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. Article 7 of the Decree sets the minimum age for hazardous work to 18 years.
Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities N/A C138 N/A [{"link_name":"Child Code, 2007","source_link":"https://bice.org/app/uploads/2015/12/doc26.pdf"}] 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. Although Article 262 of the Child Code, 2007 states that a Decree from the ministry of Labour defines the conditions in which light work can be carried out, no such text was to be found in our research.
Minimum age for light work 2021-06-18 C138 Labour Code Law n°2021‐012 - Article.193. [{"link_name":"Labour Code Law n°2021\u2010012","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tog213551.pdf"}] 15 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. Article.193. of the Law sets the minimum age for light work to of 15 years.
Minimum age for admission to work 2021-06-18 C138 Labour Code Law n°2021‐012 - Article.192. [{"link_name":"Labour Code Law n°2021\u2010012","source_link":"https://faolex.fao.org/docs/pdf/tog213551.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.192. of the Law sets the minimum age for admission to work to 15 years. It also states that exceptions to the minimum age for admission to employment shall be determined by ministerial order.

International Legal Framework

International Legal Framework

Ratification status Convention Convention description Date of ratification Source
in-force C138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) 16-MAR-1984 Source
in-force C182 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) 19-SEP-2000 Source

Policies and Plans

Policies and Plans

Description sources Period Policy name Implementing agency
The aim of the Policy is to create a protective environment for all children, promoting the fulfilment of their fundamental rights and equitable access to basic social services. The overall objective is to establish a national child protection system that ensures all children, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized, enjoy the same rights as others and are protected from neglect, abuse, violence, and exploitation. Its intermediate objectives include reducing the number of children at risk, improving the protection and care of children in vulnerable situations, and combating all forms of child mistreatment. It targets any child at risk, meaning a child facing a particular threat to their survival or development due to a difficult family or personal situation that increases their vulnerability (referred to as "children in difficulty" in policy documents) or due to mistreatment, including neglect, abuse, violence, economic exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, and sexual abuse, violence, or exploitation. [{"link_name":"National Child Protection Policy","source_link":"https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/natlex2/files/download/94842/TGO-94842.pdf"}] 2009-2013 National Child Protection Policy National Committee for Children's Rights (Comité National des Droits des Enfants)
In an Observation published in 2024, the CEACR notes that the Framework serves "as the national instrument and strategic plan that determines and guides interventions, and that the Government and other actors have developed different strategies and mechanisms to ensure that HIV/AIDS orphans are not engaged in the worst forms of child labour. However, it notes with regret the absence of information on the different measures taken and progress made under the strategic plan and the mechanisms put in place.". [{"link_name":"CEACR Observation","source_link":"https://normlex.ilo.org/dyn/nrmlx_en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO::P13100_COMMENT_ID,P13100_LANG_CODE:4364274,en:NO"}] 2010-2015 Strategic Framework for care of orphans and other vulnerable children in the context of HIV/AIDS No information
The revised education program aims to promote a structural transformation of the national education system in order to provide the nation with the quantity and quality of human resources needed to transform the economy. To meet such objective, the plan seeks to improve the equitable access, inclusivity, quality, management and coordination of preschools, primary and secondary schools. [{"link_name":"PSE","source_link":"https://planipolis.iiep.unesco.org/sites/default/files/ressources/pse_togo_2020_arial_27_08_2020.pdf"}] 2020-2030 Education Sector Plan (PSE) Sectoral Steering Committee
In a Direct Request published in 2024, the Committee of Experts on the Application of Recommendations and Conventions (CEACR) noted the implementation of " political, social economic, and institutional action to eliminate all the worst forms of child labour under the NAP", it further notes the Government's report that "between 2021 and 2023, various activities including training, awareness-raising and communication, were carried out, and more than 75,000 people were made aware of the worst forms of child labour" and that "the Government provided information on the programmes to support child victims of the worst forms of child labour, including: (1) in the commune of Lomé, protection and rehabilitation was provided to a total of 613 children under 15 years of age at risk (472 girls and 141 boys; (2) in the town of Lomé, the withdrawal of a total of 479 girls from domestic work to receive protection and schooling; (3) the construction and fitting out of schools in five rural localities to benefit a total of 938 children (452 girls and 486 boys), and (4) the establishment of a system for prevention to support children at risk in the areas of Sotouboua and d’Agou". [{"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:4364277,fr:NO"}] 2020-2024 National Action Plan to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labour (PAN) No information
Back to dashboard