Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

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

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or similar practices. Forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. The Committee notes, from the Report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on children and armed conflict of June 2025, that the United Nations verified: (1) the recruitment and use of five boys by the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF); (2) the detention of one boy by the ENDF for alleged association with armed groups; (3) the sexual violence against 73 children (two boys and 71 girls) by the ENDF (38), the Tigray Defence Forces (one) and unidentified perpetrators (34); and (4) the abduction of 189 children (66 boys, 84 girls and 39 sex unknown) by unidentified perpetrators (107), the ENDF (49) and the Eritrean Defence Forces (33) (A/79/878-S/2025/247, paras 265, 266, 268 and 271).

The Committee also notes that, in its concluding observations of June 2023, the Committee against Torture (CAT) of the United Nations, expressed concern that, since November 2020, children have been increasingly subjected to grave and systematic human rights violations by all parties to the conflict in Tigray, Amhara, Afar and Oromia, including the recruitment of child soldiers (CAT/C/ETH/CO/2, para. 52).

The Committee expresses its deep concern at the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, including by armed forces, especially as this gives rise to other serious violations of the rights of the child, such as abductions, killings and sexual violence. The Committee requests the Government to take the necessary measures as a matter of urgency to proceed to the full demobilization of all children and to put an end to the forced recruitment of children under 18 years of age by armed forces and armed groups. The Committee also urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that children removed from armed groups are treated as victims rather than offenders. The Committee requests the Government to ensure that thorough investigations and prosecutions of persons who recruit children under 18 years of age for use in armed conflict are carried through, and that penalties constituting an effective deterrent are imposed in practice. The Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken in this respect, including by indicating the number of investigations conducted, prosecutions brought, and convictions handed down with respect to such persons, and the penalties imposed.

Articles 3(a) and 7(1). Worst forms of child labour and penalties. Sale and trafficking of children. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s request, as set out in its report, for ILO technical assistance and financial support to ensure the effective application of the Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Persons Proclamation (TIP-SOP Proclamation) No. 1178/2020) and for data collection in this regard.

The Committee further notes that, in its concluding observations of June 2023, the CAT expressed its concern about the lack of prosecutions and convictions of cases of child trafficking for the purposes of labour and sexual exploitation (CAT/C/ETH/CO/2, para. 52). The Committee once again urges the Government to take the necessary measures to ensure that thorough investigations and prosecutions are carried out against persons engaged in the sale and trafficking of children, and that effective and dissuasive sanctions are imposed in practice, in accordance with the Prevention and Suppression of TIP-SOP Proclamation No. 1178/2020. The Committee also reiterates its request to the Government to take the necessary measures to collect information, including on the number and nature of offences reported, investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penal sanctions imposed with regard to the trafficking of children under 18 years. The Committee reminds the Government that it may avail itself of ILO technical assistance in this regard.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Ensuring access to free basic education. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on the measures taken to improve the education system in the country, including: (1) the implementation of the Ethiopia Education Development Road Map (2018-2030) to improve the quality and accessibility of education; (2) in collaboration with Care International, the implementation of the “She Thrives: Reducing Child Labour in Ethiopia’s Agricultural Sector Using a Gender-Focused Approach” project (2020-2025), which includes an Accelerated Education Programme (AEP) aimed at out-of-school children aged 10 to 14 years, through which 843 children (613 girls and 230 boys) were successfully reintegrated into the formal education system following a 10-months AEP course; and (3) in 2023, approximately 700,000 children in elementary school were covered by school feeding programmes.

The Committee further notes the Government’s indication that, in the 2021/2022 academic year, the national net enrolment rate for primary education (grades 1–6) reached 92.6 per cent (96.9 per cent for boys and 88.3 per cent for girls), and for grades 7-8, 47 per cent (47.2 per cent for boys and 46.8 per cent for girls). It notes that, according to UNICEF Ethiopia’s Annual Report 2024, an estimated 9 million children remained out of school, more than 9,000 schools have been damaged nationwide, and the drop-out risk among primary school students was estimated at 13.5 per cent, with 29 per cent of girls at risk of dropping out of school.

The Committee also notes, from the Report of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on children and armed conflict of June 2025, that the United Nations verified: (1) 20 attacks on schools, including 11 by unidentified perpetrators, eight by the ENDF, and one by the Ethiopian Federal Police; and (2) the military use of two schools by unidentified perpetrators (A/79/878-S/2025/247, paras 269 and 270). While recognizing the difficult situation prevailing in the country, the Committee urges the Government to pursue its efforts to improve the functioning of the education system and to facilitate access to free basic education for all children, particularly for children in lower-secondary education and in areas affected by conflict. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the results achieved, in particular regarding the increase in school enrolment and completion rates, and the reduction in school drop-out rates in primary and lower-secondary education.

Clauses (a) and (b). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour and direct assistance for the removal of children from these worst forms of child labour and for their rehabilitation and social integration. Trafficking of children. Following its previous comments, the Committee notes the information provided by the Government indicating that, pursuant to sections 23 and 24 of the TIP-SOP Proclamation No. 1178/2020, which concern with the repatriation, protection, and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking, a total of 209,722 returnees, including 8,038 children under the age of 18 years, were repatriated through diplomatic channels between 2022 and 2023.

The Committee notes that the CAT, in its concluding observations, expressed regret at the lack of adequate rehabilitation and reintegration services for child victims of trafficking (CAT/C/ETH/CO/2, para. 52). The Committee strongly encourages the Government to continue to take effective and time-bound measures to prevent children from becoming victims of trafficking and to remove child victims from these worst forms of child labour and ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken in this regard, and the results achieved, including in terms of the number of children removed from trafficking situations, and the number of children who received services for their rehabilitation and social reintegration.

Clause (e). Special situation of girls. Domestic work. The Committee previously noted that: (1) there were approximately 6,500–7,500 child domestic workers in Addis Ababa; and (2) the Government intended to issue regulations governing conditions of work applicable to the domestic service, pursuant to section 3(c) of the Labour Proclamation No.1156/2019.

The Committee notes the Government’s indication that steps are being taken to create a conducive environment for the adoption of such a regulation, including: (1) awareness-raising among competent authorities and the general public on the implications of adopting the regulation; (2) conducting in-depth assessments of the challenges and opportunities related to its adoption; (3) engaging in extensive social dialogue with employers’ and workers’ organizations and other relevant stakeholders; and (4) exploring good practices and lessons of other countries’ experiences. The Committee once again requests the Government to take immediate and effective measures to protect child domestic workers, particularly girls, from engaging in exploitative domestic work, and to report on the efforts of the labour inspectorate in this regard. It once again requests the Government to provide information on: (i) the measures taken or envisaged in this regard and the results achieved; and (ii) the issuance of regulations on conditions of work for the domestic service pursuant to section 3(c) of the Labour Proclamation No. 1156/2019, and to indicate whether such regulations include provisions to protect children, particularly girls, from exploitative forms of domestic work.

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