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

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

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The Committee notes the observations of the Central Confederation of Workers (Authentic) (CUT-A), received on 29 August 2023. It requests the Government to provide its comments in this respect.

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy and application of the Convention in practice. The Committee notes the Government’s detailed information, in its report, on the measures taken to ensure the progressive elimination of child labour, including: (1) digitalization of the register of working adolescents, to allow for real-time data on the activities of adolescent workers, hours of work and enterprises employing adolescents. This new system, according to the Government, has also prevented the engagement of adolescents in hazardous work in some cases; (2) development of a model for the identification of risks of child labour (MIRTI), a tool which allows for the identification of the territories most vulnerable to child labour, in order to define in which areas to concentrate preventive efforts; (3) in 2021, 61.2 per cent of children in situation of poverty benefitted from the Tekopora programme by receiving conditional cash transfers; and (4) implementation of “20 Commitments for Children and Young Persons”, in which Commitment no. 15 aims to eradicate child labour, its worst forms, and protect adolescent work.

The Committee notes, from the observations of the CUT-A, the concerns that the Government has not provided information on the implementation and results of the National Strategy for the Prevention and Elimination of Child Labour and the Protection of Young Workers 2019–24 (ENPETI).

The Committee notes the Government’s information that, according to the permanent household survey of 2022, 6 per cent of children aged 10 to 17 years are engaged in child labour, with a higher percentage of children in child labour in rural areas (8.3 per cent in rural areas and 4.5 per cent in urban areas), and more boys than girls engaged in child labour (8.5 per cent of boys and 3.3 per cent of girls). The Committee welcomes the significant decrease in child labour, from 22 per cent in 2015 to 6 per cent in 2022. The Committee requests the Government to pursue its efforts towards the progressive elimination of child labour and to provide information in this regard. It also requests the Government to provide specific information on the implementation of the ENPETI and the results achieved.

Article 3(1). Minimum age for admission to hazardous types of work. Domestic work.With regard to the engagement of children in hazardous domestic work, the Committee refers to its detailed comments under the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182).

Article 8. Artistic performances. The Committee notes that the CUT-A once again insists that: (1) labour inspection controls are not effective with regard to young persons whose work involves sports and artistic performances; and (2) the Government continues to not follow the recommendations of the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) relating to the prevention and elimination of child labour in artistic settings. The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not provide information on this point. It therefore requests the Government to take the necessary legislative measures to ensure that children under 14 years of age who participate in artistic performances only do so on the basis of individual authorizations issued by the competent authorities, which limit the number of hours of work and the conditions in which it is permitted, in accordance with Article 8 of the Convention. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any progress achieved in this respect.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.