Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2017, published 107th ILC session (2018)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Burkina Faso (Ratification: 2001)

Article 6 of the Convention. Plan of action and application of the Convention in practice. National Action Plan to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labour in Burkina Faso 2011–15 (PAN/PFTE). Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its report according to which the implementation of the PAN/PFTE has resulted, inter alia, in a strengthening of the capacities of the labour inspectorate, thereby boosting monitoring in sectors of activity where there is likely to be a high incidence of the worst forms of child labour. In this regard, 258 inspections were carried out in gold mining, cotton growing and the informal sector. Also under the PAN/PFTE, 2,203 persons have been trained in prevention and protection activities against the worst forms of child labour; 6,178 children have been trained and provided with work equipment, education scholarships and financial support; and support has been provided for the operation of the 116 telephone helpline for reporting violence against children (1,389 children have been rescued in this way). Lastly, the Government indicates that 12,385 children exposed to the worst forms of child labour have been removed from such labour and provided with care as a result of the measures adopted.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the PAN/PFTE came to an end in 2015. The evaluation of its implementation in 2016 made it possible to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the project and to make recommendations, including the need to establish a new national reference framework for combating the worst forms of child labour. In this regard, the Government indicates that the “National Strategy to Combat the Worst Forms of Child Labour 2018–25” (SN-PFTE) has been approved and is awaiting adoption by the Council of Ministers. The general objective of the SN-PFTE is to eliminate the worst forms of child labour by 2025. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the adoption and implementation of the SN-PFTE, and on all progress made in this respect and the results achieved. The Committee requests the Government once again to provide detailed information on the nature, extent and trends of the worst forms of child labour, the number of children covered by the measures giving effect to the Convention, and the number and nature of reported offences, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties imposed. To the extent possible, this data should be disaggregated by age and gender.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the adoption of the Strategic Development Programme for Basic Education 2012–21 (PDSEB), which includes the strategic goal of achieving universal primary school attendance by 2021. The Committee noted the various measures adopted by the Government in order to improve the school enrolment rate in Burkina Faso and the progress achieved in this regard. However, the Committee noted that in 2012–13 the net school enrolment rate was 63.2 per cent at national level (63.5 per cent for boys and 62.8 per cent for girls). Moreover, the primary school completion rate remained very low, standing at 59.5 per cent (59.3 per cent for boys and 59.7 per cent for girls).

The Committee notes the Government’s detailed information to the effect that a number of specific measures have been taken to ensure access to free basic education for all children, the quality thereof and their retention therein, and thereby to increase the school enrolment and completion rates. The Government provides information, inter alia, on the measures taken as part of the PAN/PFTE to increase the school enrolment and completion rates, including the setting up of 1,240 school canteens to support children in need and the granting of 42,275 scholarships and 35,439 school kits to children from vulnerable families. Moreover, the Government indicates that a raft of measures have been adopted in relation to strengthening the school infrastructure, at both primary and post-primary levels, for example through the construction of new classrooms and new schools for general education. The Government also indicates that steps have been taken to ensure the proper equipment of classrooms, the provision of adequate human resources in terms of quantity and quality, and improvements to the standards of hygiene, health and nutrition for pupils.

The Committee duly notes the Government’s indication that these and additional efforts have resulted in a gross school enrolment rate of 86.1 per cent (85.9 per cent for boys and 86.4 per cent for girls) and a net school enrolment rate of 71.1 per cent (71.2 per cent for boys and 71 per cent for girls), which represents a clear improvement over the 2012–13 rates. However, the Committee notes that not only does the primary school completion rate indicated by the Government for 2015–16 remain very low, but it represents a slight drop in comparison with the 2012–13 rate, namely 58.2 per cent (55.3 per cent for boys and 61.3 per cent for girls). Considering that the retention of children in school is key to preventing and combating their engagement in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee stresses the need to improve the functioning of the educational system through measures that aim in particular to increase school attendance rates and reduce school drop-out rates (see General Survey of 2012 on the fundamental Conventions, paragraph 570). The Committee therefore urges the Government to intensify its efforts to strengthen the functioning of the education system, including by taking steps to increase school enrolment and completion rates. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken in this respect.

Clause (d). Identifying children at special risk. HIV/AIDS orphans. In its previous comments, the Committee duly noted the detailed information from the Government on the measures taken for the protection of people living with HIV/AIDS and for orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs) but observed that there were still some 120,000 HIV/AIDS orphans in Burkina Faso in 2013.

The Committee notes that, according to UNAIDS statistics, the number of OVCs in Burkina Faso continues to decrease, with some 71,000 in 2015. Furthermore, the Committee notes with interest the Government’s indication that 15,000 OVCs received financial support in the form of payment of school fees in 2016 and that 15,028 OVCs have received the same kind of support in 2017. The Committee encourages the Government to pursue its efforts to protect OVCs and requests it to continue providing information on the results achieved in terms of the number of OVCs whose engagement in the worst forms of child labour has been prevented in this way.

Article 8. International cooperation and assistance. 1. Regional cooperation regarding the sale and trafficking of children. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that Burkina Faso has just approved a draft tripartite cooperation agreement on the protection of children in situations of cross-border mobility with Togo and Benin. The agreement has yet to be submitted to the other two parties for amendment prior to the signing of the final agreement by the three countries concerned. The Committee encourages the Government to pursue its efforts to strengthen international cooperation and assistance to eliminate the trafficking of children for economic or sexual exploitation and requests it to continue providing information on the results achieved in this respect, including with regard to the tripartite cooperation agreement.

2. Poverty eradication. In its previous comments, the Committee took note of the Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Sustainable Development 2011–15 (SCADD), of which the PAN/PFTE formed part.

Moreover, the Committee notes the Government’s indications that, despite huge problems such as the socio-political upheaval and economic difficulties that have marked recent years, the implementation of the PAN/PFTE has generated important results in terms of reduction of the economic vulnerability of the beneficiaries. Indeed, area of action No. 5 of the PAN/PFTE aimed in particular at strengthening the capacities of vulnerable households, including through the development of income-generating activities and improvements to techniques of production. This support has also included the creation of 2,244 micro-projects for income-generating activities, the provision of thousands of tonnes of seed and fertilizer to 946,695 households and the purchase of ploughs and draught animals at preferential rates by thousands of households, thereby enabling them to increase production.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the SCADD, which came to an end in 2015, has been replaced by the National Economic and Social Development Plan 2016–20 (PNDES), which assigns a key role to combating child labour. Noting once again that poverty reduction programmes contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty, which is essential for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, the Committee strongly encourages the Government to pursue its efforts to reduce the incidence of poverty, particularly as part of the implementation of the PNDES. It requests the Government to provide information on the results achieved, especially with regard to the effective reduction of poverty in vulnerable households and the impact observed on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour.