Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2007, published 97th ILC session (2008)

White Lead (Painting) Convention, 1921 (No. 13) - Iraq (Ratification: 1966)

The Committee notes with regret that the Government’s report has not been received. It must therefore repeat its previous observation which read as follows:

Article 7 of the Convention. The Committee notes the Government’s indication to the effect that it does not dispose of any statistics concerning the lead poisoning among working painters for the period ending 30 June 1999. For a number of years, the Committee has been recalling to the Government that Article 7 of the Convention requires the establishment of statistics on lead poisoning among working painters. In this respect, the Committee once again refers to section 8(a) of the Instructions for the Prevention of Lead Poisoning among Painting Workers, according to which cases of lead poisoning shall be reported and statistics kept. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that cases of lead poisoning must be notified to the Labour Inspectorate, and the Ministry of Health is the competent authority responsible for keeping statistics concerning the morbidity and the mortality of working painters due to lead poisoning. The Committee, taking note of this information supplied by the Government in its report, requests the Government to indicate the measures taken or envisaged to establish statistics on lead poisoning of working painters, as required under section 8(a) of the Instructions for the Prevention of Lead Poisoning among Painting Workers.

The Committee hopes that the Government will make every effort to take the necessary action in the very near future.