Country profile TKM
Context
Context
| Year | Age group | Proportion | Gender | Indicator | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 5-17 | 0.4 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2016 | 5-17 | 0.1 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2016 | 5-17 | 0.3 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity and household chores, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2016 | 5-17 | 0.4 | Male | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2016 | 5-17 | 0.1 | Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, by sex and age (%) | Source |
| 2016 | 5-17 | 0.3 | Male & Female | Proportion of children engaged in economic activity, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| List of hazardous activities prohibited for children | 2018 | C138 & C182 | Government Decree No. 87 ‘On hazardous work’ | [{"link_name":"CEACR Direct Request","source_link":"https://www.ilo.org/normlex-permalink/comment/en/4366693"}] | 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. | Decree No. 87 of 2018 establishes the national list of hazardous types of work prohibited to children under the age of 18 in Turkmenistan. This decree was adopted by the Government and is referenced in CEACR Direct Request. It includes various hazardous occupations and conditions deemed harmful to the health, safety, and morals of children. |
| Minimum age for hazardous work | 2018 | C138 & C182 | Government Decree No. 87 ‘On hazardous work’ | [{"link_name":"CEACR Direct Request","source_link":"https://www.ilo.org/normlex-permalink/comment/en/4366693"}] | 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. | Turkmenistan’s Labour Code sets 18 as the minimum age for hazardous work, prohibiting the employment of persons under 18 in dangerous conditions. Government Decree No. 87 of 2018 provides a list of prohibited hazardous work for youths under 18. In 2023, the Ministry of Labour revised this list following an ILO–Turkmen review. Although the legal framework prohibits hazardous work by minors, reports from independent monitors and findings by the ILO–CEACR show that children under 18 -and even under 15- continue to work under hazardous conditions in the cotton sector. This indicates a gap between the legal provisions and their enforcement in practice. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs, prohibited? | N/A | C182 | N/A | [{"link_name":"N/A","source_link":"N/A"}] | No | 11 | C182 prohibits the use, procuring or offering of children for illicit activities in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. | It does not explicitly prohibit or define the use, procuring, or offering of children for drug production or trafficking. Further, no provision in the Criminal Code or Anti-Trafficking Law was found that explicitly prohibits the use or recruitment of children for the production or trafficking of drugs. The current legislation focuses on the criminalization of drug-related acts rather than the protection of children from being used in such acts. |
| Is the use, procuring or offering of a child for the purpose of prostitution and for production of pornography prohibited? | 2017 | C182 | Law of Turkmenistan on Combating Trafficking in Persons - Article 1(14) | [{"link_name":"Law of Turkmenistan on Combating Trafficking in Persons","source_link":"https://sherloc.unodc.org/cld/uploads/res/document/tkm/2016/law_on_counteraction_to_trafficking_in_human_beings_html/TIP_Law_Turkmenistan_ENG.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 1(14) of the law defines "trafficking-related crimes" to include: “crimes stipulated by the Criminal Code of Turkmenistan, related to prostitution or involvement to prostitution, or coercion to continue prostitution using slave labour, kidnapping, illegal actions aimed at providing employment abroad, production and dissemination of pornographic materials or objects of pornographic nature with images of minors.” This establishes a clear legal prohibition on the use, procuring, or offering of children for prostitution or pornography. |
| Is forced or compulsory recruitment of children under 18 for use in armed conflict prohibited? | 2010 | C182 | Law of Turkmenistan on Military Duty and Military Service - Article 18 | [{"link_name":"Law of Turkmenistan on Military Duty and Military Service","source_link":"https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/DownloadDraft.aspx?key=tqsxgYxgF1oIjk0nsWXOV0bojYcR3PPUN7I67LLSTwrUEpoi+BfrpNtEmKW3r0lZ"}] | 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 18 of the Law on Military Duty and Military Service (2016, as amended) establishes that military service is compulsory for male citizens upon reaching 18 years of age. No provision allows for conscription below 18 years. The law also contains no language indicating that children under 18 may be recruited voluntarily or otherwise. |
| Is the sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation prohibited? | 2017 | C182 | Law of Turkmenistan on Combating Trafficking in Persons - Articles 2, 3 and 17 | [{"link_name":"Law of Turkmenistan on Combating Trafficking in Persons","source_link":"https://sherloc.unodc.org/cld/uploads/res/document/tkm/2016/law_on_counteraction_to_trafficking_in_human_beings_html/TIP_Law_Turkmenistan_ENG.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. | The Law on Combating Trafficking in Persons prohibits all forms of trafficking and explicitly mandates the collection of data disaggregated by women and children (Article 17). While the law itself does not include a standalone provision explicitly stating “sale and trafficking of children for sexual and labour exploitation,” it mandates that institutions (education, health, labour, etc.) must report all known cases of child trafficking and trafficking-related crimes. The inclusion of children victims under Articles 2, 3, and 17 implies legislative recognition of and measures against child trafficking for exploitative purposes. The criminal elements of trafficking (including for sexual and labour purposes) are governed under the Criminal Code and this Law collectively. |
| Minimum age for admission to apprenticeship | 2009 | C138 | Labour Code of Turkmenistan | [{"link_name":"Labour Code of Turkmenistan","source_link":"https://tds.gov.tm/en/20-turkmenistanyn-zahmet-kodeksi#:~:text=The%20main%20tasks%20of%20the,of%20the%20labor%20market%2C%20to"}] | 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. | The law does not explicitly mention “apprenticeships” or any structured programme formally integrated with education or approved by a competent authority. |
| Is the minimum age for admission to work not less than the age for completion of compulsory schooling? | 2009 | C138 | Labour Code of Turkmenistan | [{"link_name":"Labour Code of Turkmenistan","source_link":"https://tds.gov.tm/en/20-turkmenistanyn-zahmet-kodeksi#:~:text=The%20main%20tasks%20of%20the,of%20the%20labor%20market%2C%20to"}] | 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. | The Labour Code permits the conclusion of employment contracts with children from the age of 16, with the written consent of a parent or guardian, for a maximum of 24 hours per week. Compulsory education in Turkmenistan is completed by age 15. |
| Light work - Determination of types and conditions of activities | 2009 | C138 | Labour Code of Turkmenistan | [{"link_name":"Labour Code of Turkmenistan","source_link":"https://tds.gov.tm/en/20-turkmenistanyn-zahmet-kodeksi#:~:text=The%20main%20tasks%20of%20the,of%20the%20labor%20market%2C%20to"}] | 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 specific list or regulation on light work has been formally issued. |
| Minimum age for light work | 2009 | C138 | Labour Code of Turkmenistan | [{"link_name":"Labour Code of Turkmenistan","source_link":"https://tds.gov.tm/en/20-turkmenistanyn-zahmet-kodeksi#:~:text=The%20main%20tasks%20of%20the,of%20the%20labor%20market%2C%20to"}] | 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. | Turkmenistan’s Labour Code permits employment from age 16 with parental consent and limited hours (up to 24 hours per week), but does not define or regulate “light work” for children under the minimum age. |
| Minimum age for admission to work | 2009 | C138 | Labour Code of Turkmenistan - Article 1 | [{"link_name":"Labour Code of Turkmenistan","source_link":"https://tds.gov.tm/en/20-turkmenistanyn-zahmet-kodeksi#:~:text=The%20main%20tasks%20of%20the,of%20the%20labor%20market%2C%20to"}] | 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 1 of the Law prohibits concluding employment contracts with individuals under the age of 18, except in exceptional cases allowed under the Labour Code of Turkmenistan, where employment may be authorised from the age of 16. Employment for persons aged 16 to 18 is subject to specific protections and limitations. |
International Legal Framework
International Legal Framework
| Ratification status | Convention | Convention description | Date of ratification | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| in-force | C138 | Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) | 27-MAR-2012 | Source |
| in-force | C182 | Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) | 15-NOV-2010 | Source |
Policies and Plans
Policies and Plans
| Description | sources | Period | Policy name | Implementing agency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A comprehensive, survivor-centred strategy developed with IOM and UNODC aimed at strengthening protections against human trafficking—including child trafficking—through prevention, prosecution, protection services, and international cooperation. | [{"link_name":"National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking in Turkmenistan","source_link":"https://www.mfa.gov.tm/en/news/5020"}] | 2025-2029 | National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking in Turkmenistan | Interdepartmental Commission on Combating Human Trafficking |