Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1996, published 85th ILC session (1997)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Belize (Ratification: 1983)

The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in its last report.

1. In its earlier comments, the Committee noted that section 4(1)(XXX) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Ordinance (Ch. 99), read together with section 4(7) of the same Ordinance, provides that every person who, being able wholly or in part to maintain himself or his family by work or other means, wilfully refuses or neglects to do so, shall be guilty of a petty offence and is liable to imprisonment. The Committee noted that a legal obligation to maintain oneself by work, in the absence of other means, falls within the scope of Article 2, paragraph 1, of the Convention if enforced by any penalty. Having previously indicated that no prosecutions were carried out under the Act, the Government reports that there has been no change in this regard. Under these circumstances the Committee again expresses the firm hope that on the occasion when the Ordinance is next amended section 4(1)(XXX) will be brought into conformity with the Convention, e.g., by deleting the words "himself or", and that pending such amendment, the Government will continue supplying information on any prosecutions under this provision.

2. The Committee notes that the Government provided a copy of the Defence (Amendment) Act 1990. It notes with interest that section 4 of this Act amends section 26 of the principal enactment and provides that a soldier of the regular force shall be entitled to claim his discharge at any time before the completion of his term of engagement on payment of such sum and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed by regulations. The Committee asks the Government to provide a copy of these regulations as well as of the principal enactment.