Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Liberia (Ratification: 2022)

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

The Committee notes the Government’s first report.

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy. The Committee notes the Government’s indication, in its report, that: (1) it adopted the National Action Plan for Child Labour Elimination and its Worst Forms 2021–2025, which sets the overall objective to reduce child labour by 50 per cent by 2030; (2) the National Steering Committee (NSC) on Child Labour is the national body that coordinates child labour issues and directs policy and programme formulation; and (3) the NSC on Child Labour initiated the process of developing the draft Child Labour Law, which is currently awaiting legislative approval. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken and results achieved, including within the framework of the National Action Plan for Child Labour Elimination 2021–2025, to ensure the effective abolition of child labour. It also requests the Government to provide: (i) information on any progress reached in adopting the Child Labour Law; and (ii) a copy of the law once adopted.

Article 2(1). Scope of application. The Committee notes that section 1.5 of the Decent Work Act, 2015, foresees a wide scope of application of the Act. Namely, under section 1.5(b), it is envisaged that the Act shall apply: “(i) to all worked performed by both women and men; (ii) whether or not the person performing the work is a citizen of the Republic; (iii) to work performed in both the formal and informal economy; and (iv) to work performed by children”.

The Committee further notes that, pursuant to section 1.5(c)(ii) of the Decent Work Act, the Act shall not apply to officers, members of the crew, seamen, mariners, greasers, firemen, stevedores, launch drivers, stewards, cooks, laundrymen, and any other persons employed or in training on vessels registered under the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Maritime Law or their employers. It notes the Government’s indication that the Liberian Maritime Law sets the minimum age to work on board a Liberian-registered vessel at 16 years, with the exception of a ship’s cook who shall be at least 18 years old (section 326.1 Maritime Law). In this regard, the Committee recalls its 2023 comments on the application of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (MLC, 2006), in which it: (i) noted that sections 326(2) and 326(4) of the Maritime Law allow for possible exceptions to the prohibition of the employment on board of any person under 16 years; and (ii) requested the Government to take steps to amend its legislation to ensure that no exceptions are permitted in this respect. With regard to the minimum age for employment, engagement or work on board a ship, the Committee refers to its 2023 comments on the application the MLC, 2006,.

Article 2(1) and (3). Minimum age for admission to employment or work and age of completion of compulsory schooling. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that: (1) under section 21.2 of the Decent Work Act, no person shall employ or allow a child under the age of 15 years to be employed in full-time employment; (2) under section 92 of the Education Law, 2011, children aged between 6 to 15 years are required to attend and complete basic education; and (3) the right to education is also guaranteed by the Children’s Law, 2011.

The Committee further notes, from the Education Reform Act, 2011, that: (1) “basic education” shall consist of 9 years of education, comprising primary and junior secondary education (sections 4.1 and 4.2); (2) “primary education” shall be free and compulsory, start at age 6 and consist of grades 1 to 6 (section 4.4.1); and (3) “junior secondary education” shall also be free and compulsory, start at age 12 and consist of grades 7 to 9 (section 4.4.2).

However, the Committee notes that the Children’s Law only envisages that primary level education shall be free and compulsory (Article III, section 9.2), while for secondary education it is only envisaged that the Government shall “progressively develop various forms of secondary education and progressively make it free and accessible to all children in Liberia” (Article III, section 9.4). The Committee notes that the Children’s Law only envisages that primary education shall be free (until 12 years of age), while the Education Reform Act provides for free and compulsory education up to junior secondary education (until 15 years of age), in line with the requirements of the Convention. Therefore, the Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to amend the Children’s Law in order to ensure that it is aligned with the Education Reform Act and that all relevant legislation sets the age of completion of compulsory education at 15 years.

Article 3(1) and (2). Minimum age for admission to, and determination of, hazardous work. The Committee notes that, under section 21.4(a) of the Decent Work Act, the following types of work are prohibited to children (defined, in section 1.4(c), as a person under the age of 18 years): (i) work which exposes children to physical, psychological or sexual abuse; (ii) work underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces; (iii) work with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools, or which involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads; (iv) work in an unhealthy environment which may, for example, expose children to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health; or (v) work under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night, or work where the child is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer.

The Committee further notes the Government’s indication that, in accordance with section 21.4(b) of the Decent Work Act, the Regulations establishing the Hazardous Work List for Children in Liberia were adopted in June 2022. It notes that the Hazardous Work List defines the sectors and tasks in which children under 18 years of age may not be engaged in. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the implementation of the Regulations setting the Hazardous Work List for Children, including the number and nature of violations regarding young persons engaged in hazardous work.

Article 3(3). Authorization to carry out hazardous work from the age of 16. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the Hazardous Work List sets out the list of works deemed hazardous which may be performed by children aged between 16 and 17 years, on the condition that safety measures are in place and that there is adequate training and supervision.

Article 5. Limitation of the scope of application of the Convention. The Committee notes that the application of the Convention was limited to the branches of economic activity set forth in Article 5(3). However, it notes that the Decent Work Act has a wide scope of application and it therefore draws the Government’s attention to the possibility offered by Article 5(4)(b) of the Convention under which any Member that has limited the scope of application of this Convention may, at any time, formally extend the scope of application by a declaration addressed to the Director-General of the ILO. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on any developments in this regard.

Article 6. Vocational training and apprenticeships. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that: (1) there is currently no legislation in place for work done by children in educational institutions (schools and training institutions); (2) the Technical and Vocational Educational Training (TVET) Policy of 2006 sets the minimum age for entry into TVET education institutions and apprenticeship at 15 years; and (3) the draft Child Labour Law envisages to set a minimum age to enrol in TVET at 14 years. The Committee trusts that, in the process of regulating apprenticeships, the Government will ensure that: (i) the minimum age for entry into an apprenticeships is set at 14 years at least; and (ii) young persons below the age of 18 years engaged in vocational training or apprenticeships do not undertake hazardous work, with the exception of children aged at least 16 years and under the conditions set out in Article 3(3) of the Convention. It requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged in this regard.

Article 7(1) and (3). Minimum age for admission to, and determination of, light work. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that light work is permitted under the Decent Work Act. It notes that under section 21.3, light work is defined as work or any other activity that is not likely to be harmful to a child’s health or safety, moral or material welfare or development and is not such as to prejudice the child’s attendance at school or their capacity to benefit from instruction. It further notes that light work is permitted for children from the age of 13 years, for a maximum of two hours in a day and 14 hours in a week, and provided they are employed in compliance with any prescribed procedures. In this regard, the Committee notes the adoption, in June 2022, of the Regulations establishing the Light Work List for Children in Liberia, which provides a detailed list of sectors in which light work is permitted, as well as permitted tasks and measures to be taken to limit any exposure to risks.

Article 8. Artistic performances. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that: (1) section 21.7(b) of the Decent Work Act provides that the Minister may make regulations establishing a system by which an employer might obtain a permit to engage a child younger than 13 years for such purposes as participation in artistic performances; (2) such regulation has not been formulated; and (3) in practice, children of all ages may be used in movies, on the condition that there is parental consent and that children are not engaged in any act considered as a worst form of child labour.

The Committee reminds the Government that Article 8 of the Convention, by way of an exception to the minimum age for admission to employment or work, provides for the possibility for the competent authority – and not only the parents – of granting individual work permits for such purposes as participation in artistic performances. Permits thus granted must limit the number of hours during which, and prescribe the conditions in which, employment or work is allowed. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to: (i) establish a system of individual permits to be granted for children under 15 years of age who work in activities such as artistic performances, pursuant section 21.7(b) of the Decent Work Act; and (ii) ensure that such permits limit the number of working hours and prescribe the conditions in which employment or work is allowed.

Article 9(1). Penalties. The Committee notes that the Government states that the Decent Work Act and the Children’s Law, as well as other applicable Regulations, do not provide for penalties or restitutions for violations of the provisions on child labour. The Government adds that persons convicted of violating child labour laws are penalized under the Penal Law, 1976 for “child endangerment”. In this regard, the Committee notes that: (1) pursuant to section 14.23 of the Penal Law on “recklessly endangering another person”, a person commits a misdemeanour of the first degree if they recklessly engage in conduct which creates a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to another; and (2) pursuant to section 50.9(1) and (2), individuals or corporations convicted of a misdemeanour may be sentenced to pay a fine which does not exceed 1,000 Liberian dollars for a misdemeanour of the first degree (or double the gain realized by the defendant) or 500 dollars for a misdemeanour of the second degree (or double the gain realized by the defendants).

The Committee notes the absence of specific penalties for the violation of child labour provisions. It also notes that the penalties provided for by section 14.23 of the Penal Law for the offence of “endangering a person” may be considered as not being sufficiently dissuasive to ensure the enforcement of the Convention and deter employers from resorting to child labour. In this regard, the Committee recalls that Article 9(1) of the Convention requires the adoption of adequate and sufficiently dissuasive penalties to ensure the application of its provisions. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to adopt legislation that will establish specific, appropriate and effective penalties for violations of the prohibition on the admission to employment or work of children under 15 years. In the meantime, it requests the Government to provide information on the application in practice of section 14.23 of the Penal Law by indicating the number and nature of penalties imposed with regard to the employment of children and young persons under 15 years.

Article 9(3). Keeping of registers. The Committee notes that pursuant to section 21.5(d) of the Decent Work Act, the employer is obliged to keep a register of all employed children (defined as a person under 18 years), which shall clearly indicate their names, ages and dates of birth, “duly certified wherever possible”. Section 21.5(e) provides that the employer shall keep the records throughout the employment of any child and, for a period of five years following the termination of their employment.

Labour inspection and application in practice. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that: (1) due to the inadequate number of staff, labour inspections are conducted only in the formal sector and not in the informal sector in which children are more likely to be engaged in child labour; (2) labour inspectors received technical and financial assistance from a United States-based non-governmental organization for the development of a training guide on child labour, force labour, and human trafficking issues; and (3) due to issues of funding and logistics, statistical data on child labour, inspections and contraventions is not available.

The Committee further notes, from the Government’s report to the United Nations Committee for the Rights of the Child (CRC), that: (1) in 2021, the Ministry of Labour’s labour inspectorate reported conducting 43 child labour-specific investigations and removed 38 children from situations of exploitation or endangerment; and (2) the draft Child Labour Law envisages support in monitoring, tracking and gathering of statistics on children involved in child labour (CRC/C/LBR/5-6, 16 October 2023, paras 4 and 202). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on: (i) any progress reached to ensure that updated statistics on the situation of child labour in the country are made available, such as recent statistics relating to the nature, extent and trends of work done by children under the minimum age of 15 years; (ii) any measures taken or envisaged to strengthen the capacity of the labour inspection system to adequately monitor and detect cases of child labour in the country, including in the informal economy; and (iii) the number of child labour inspections carried out by the labour inspectors, as well as on the number and nature of violations detected and penalties applied.