Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2023, published 112nd ILC session (2024)

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Paraguay (Ratification: 2004)

Previous observation and previous direct request

Article 2(3) of the Convention. Age of completion of compulsory schooling. The Committee notes the Government’s indication, in its report, that, in 2022, the school attendance rates were at 98.9 per cent for children aged 6 to 11 years and 95.8 per cent for children aged 12 to 14 years. According to the data provided by the Government, the drop-out rate is 3.4 per cent in both the first and second cycle of compulsory education. The Committee encourages the Government to pursue its efforts to ensure the effective implementation of compulsory education and to provide information on the results achieved in this regard.

Article 9(1). Penalties and labour inspection. The Committee notes the observations of the Central Confederation of Workers (Authentic) (CUT-A) according to which: (1) the Government does not provide information on the application in practice of Decree No. 4951 setting the list of hazardous work; and (2) the trainings provided to labour inspectors are not sufficient to ensure the proper application of the Convention.

The Committee notes the Government’s statement that it continues to provide trainings to the labour inspectorate on cases of child labour and that the labour inspectorate works in close cooperation with the Ministry of Public Defence, in order to better detect cases of child labour. The Committee also takes due note of the inspection reports provided by the Government in relation to five cases of violations of child labour laws in the private sector in the Chaco region. In each case, the violations included: (1) not having a register of working adolescents; (2) not being able to show proof of mandatory and periodical medical examinations; and (3) violation of the prohibition of night work. The Committee further notes the Government’s information on the adoption of Resolution MTESS No. 217/2021, establishing the procedure that labour inspectors should follow when receiving a report of child labour, and allowing for summary sanctions against persons using child labour. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the number and nature of detected violations of the provisions of the Labour Code relating to child labour, and the penalties imposed. It also requests the Government to provide information on the application in practice of Resolution MTESS No. 217/2021, indicating the number and nature of reports received, and the procedure followed by the labour inspectorate. Finally, the Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the number and nature of penalties imposed for violations of Decree No. 4951 approving the list of hazardous types of work.