Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2015, published 105th ILC session (2016)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Cambodia (Ratification: 2006)

The Committee notes the observations of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) received on 1 September 2015.

Article 3(c) of the Convention. Use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. In its previous comments, the Committee noted that Cambodian national legislation does not prohibit the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs.

The Committee notes that the Draft Law on Juvenile Justice is being finalized. It also notes the Government’s indication that the Cambodian National Committee for Children is in the process of drafting a Sub-decree on Child Protection which serves as a response to an immediate need for a national regulation addressing child protection. The Committee requests the Government to indicate whether the Draft Law on Juvenile Justice or the Sub-decree on Child Protection contains any provision prohibiting the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production or trafficking of drugs.

Article 8. International cooperation. Trafficking. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Australian Government to cooperate in the implementation of the Asia Anti-Trafficking Project. This project has been assisting in building the capacity of law enforcement officers (including the police from the special Anti-Human Trafficking and Juvenile Protection Unit), prosecutors and judges by training them with the skills to investigate, prosecute and punish perpetrators of trafficking in persons. It also notes from the Government’s report that the MoU on bilateral cooperation between Cambodia and Thailand to counter human trafficking and assist victims of trafficking has been renewed and a taskforce to implement this MoU is being developed. The Committee requests the Government to enhance its international cooperation to combat trafficking in children, particularly as regards victim identification and assistance. It also request the Government to provide information on the impact of the bilateral agreement with Thailand, in terms of the number of child victims of trafficking detected, assisted and returned to their countries of origin.