Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Mozambique (Ratification: 2003)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (d). Hazardous work. Children in domestic work.The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the application in practice of Decree No. 67 of 2017, including the number of violations, investigations and penalties applied in relation to the employment of children under 18 years in hazardous domestic work.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (d). Reaching out to children at special risk. 1. Orphans and other vulnerable children. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information that it continues to work on ensuring that all children, including orphans and other vulnerable children, through basic social assistance programmes and free education. The Government indicates that it has assisted 1,146,503 families living in vulnerable situations (462,252 through the Basic Social Subsidy Programme, 1,174,018 through the Direct Social Support Programme, 11,841 through the Social Units Assistance Programme and 100,502 through the Productive Social Action Programme). Recalling once again that orphans and other vulnerable children are at an increased risk of being engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the number of child orphans or other vulnerable children who have benefited from the social assistance programmes and thus been prevented from engaging in, or withdrawn from, the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to continue providing information on the measures taken to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour.

2. Street children and begging. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that there is currently no data available regarding the number of street children subjected to hazardous work and begging in the country, and that it may be possible to provide this data in subsequent reports. The Committee once again requests the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that the prohibition on hazardous types of work by children on the streets is effectively enforced and to indicate the number and type of violations detected and the penalties imposed. It urges the Government to take the necessary measures to obtain information on the number of street children and child victims of begging who have been rehabilitated and reintegrated through the action programmes implemented by the Government, and to communicate this information in its next report.

3. Migrant children. The Committee notes with regret the lack of information in the Government’s report concerning the large number of migrant children exposed to hazardous working conditions in mines, construction sites and quarries, market vending or as domestic or sex workers and their vulnerability to trafficking and forced labour. The Committee notes, however, that the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is implementing the IOM Country Strategy 2021–23. In this framework, the achievement of several objectives is intended, including: (i) fostering the availability, accessibility and uptake of responsive health services for migrant populations; (ii) optimizing the benefits of labour migration while ensuring the protection of migrant workers and their families; and (iii) contributing to upholding the rights of migrants in accordance with international laws and standards, including by strengthening the child protection system for unaccompanied and separated migrant children. The Committee once again recalls that migrant children may be particularly vulnerable to the worst forms of child labour and requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the IOM Country Strategy or of any other measure on ensuring that these children are protected from the worst forms of child labour, and to provide information on the results achieved.

4. Displaced children. The Committee notes that, according to the Humanitarian Situation Report No. 9 of September 2022 by UNICEF, armed violence has triggered new waves of displacement in northern Mozambique. By June 2022, an estimated 520,579 children were displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance. The Committee further notes that, according to the IOM, the insecurity in Northern Mozambique, caused by the proliferation of Transnational Organized Crime and Non-State Armed Groups operating in the North of the country and along the main trade corridors, has triggered the displacement of over 946,000 persons. In this regard, the IOM is supporting the Government to improve community safety and strengthen border security, contributing to peace and stability in Northern Mozambique. Considering that internally displaced children are at greater risk of becoming involved in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the action undertaken by the Government and IOM – and of any other effective and time-bound measure adopted to this end - to protect these children from these worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken in this respect and the results achieved.