Observation (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Rwanda (Ratification: 2000)

Articles 3 and 7(1) of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour and penalties. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. Sale and trafficking. The Committee notes the Government’s information, in its report, on cases identified in relation to Law No. 51/2018 of 13 August 2018 relating to the prevention, suppression and punishment of trafficking in persons and exploitation of others to the effect that: (1) 30 cases relating to section 18 on trafficking in persons were investigated and submitted for prosecution; (2) 14 cases relating to section 19 on promoting and facilitating trafficking in persons were investigated and submitted for prosecution; and (3) one case relating to section 20 on aggravating circumstances was investigated and submitted for prosecution. The Committee notes with regret that the Government does not specify: (1) the year or time period during which these cases were identified; (2) the number of cases which relate specifically to the trafficking of children under the age of 18 years; or (3) the outcomes of these cases, namely if prosecutions led to convictions and, if so, the types of penalties imposed.

The Committee further notes, from the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the concerns about the fact that Rwandan women and girls are trafficked internally for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labour in domestic work and the service sector (CEDAW/C/RWA/CO/10, 6 June 2024, paragraph 27). The Committee requests the Government to strengthen its efforts to combat child trafficking. It once again requests the Government to provide information on the application in practice of sections 18, 19 and 20 of Law No. 51/2018, by providing statistics on the number of investigations and prosecutions which specifically relate to the trafficking of children under the age of 18 years, and to include data on convictions and penalties imposed in addition to specifying the time frames concerned.

Clause (b). Use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution. Commercial sexual exploitation. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that various measures were taken to protect children against commercial sexual exploitation, including: (1) the increase in the number of investigators dealing with such cases; (2) the organization and delivery by the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), of trainings to eligible investigators, allocation of adequate means for the required operations, enhancement of partnerships with stakeholders, and increase in awareness-raising campaigns; and (3) the undertaking of efforts to improve data collection, analysis and dissemination of information. The Government further indicates that 10 cases of sexual exploitation of a minor were investigated and submitted for prosecution under section 24 of Law No. 51/2018 of 13 August 2018, involving 11 victims under the age of 18 years. However, the Government does not indicate the outcome of these cases, namely if prosecutions led to convictions and, if so, the types of penalties imposed. In this regard, the Committee notes with regret the relatively low number of prosecutions given that it had previously noted the increase of trafficking in adolescent girls for purposes of sexual exploitation under the pretext of offering them opportunities to study or work abroad.

The Committee further notes that the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) recommended that the Government take all necessary measures to prevent, prosecute and eliminate the exploitation of children in the sex industry, including within the tourism sector (A/HRC/47/14, 25 March 2021, paragraph 135.47). The Committee once again requests the Government to take the necessary measures to protect children against commercial sexual exploitation and to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement bodies to facilitate the detection of cases involving the commercial sexual exploitation of children and to enable them to carry out thorough investigations and prosecutions. It requests the Government to provide detailed and specific information on: (i) the measures taken in this regard; and (ii) the results achieved, including by continuing to share statistical data on the number of investigations and prosecutions, but also on the convictions and penalties imposed in application of section 24 of Law No. 51/2018.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (b). Direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour and their rehabilitation and social integration. Commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking. The Committee notes the Government’s information on: (1) the adoption of the Prime Minister’s Order No. 019/03 of 2021 determining the body responsible for providing the necessary means for the repatriation of the victims of the crime of trafficking in persons; (2) the adoption of Ministerial Order No. 013/MOJ/AG/21 of 2021 providing for other particular means for supporting victims of the crime of trafficking in persons, which plans for the placement of victims of trafficking in Isange One Stop Centres (Isange OSCs); (3) three child victims who benefited from rehabilitation in Isange OSCs, where they received services including legal support, medical treatment and psychological support; (4) the development of the Child Online Protection Policy (2019), which lays out guidelines for the protection of children from online abuse and exploitation; (5) the Government allocation of 233 million Rwandan francs in 2019, 206 million francs in 2020 and 181.3 million francs in 2021 to victim care; (6) the establishment of hotlines to facilitate timely and confidential reporting; (7) in addition to the 48 Isange OSCs, the offering by two teaching hospitals of services to victims of trafficking, and the establishment of four safe shelters at hospitals; and (8) the deployment of efforts to raise public awareness on human trafficking issues, including in schools, and the implementation of capacity-strengthening programmes to raise the knowledge of Immigration officers, Rwanda National Police and RIB officers in the detection, prosecution and referral of cases of human trafficking, including children.

The Committee further notes, from the 2023 Country Office Annual Report of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), that the Government launched the Child Protection Case Management Framework in September 2023, developed with UNICEF’s financial and technical support, to strengthen the provision of integrated child protection services. However, the Committee also notes, from the concluding observations of the CEDAW, the concerns about the lack of effective and systematic screening and referral of victims of trafficking, in particular women and girls, to appropriate services (CEDAW/C/RWA/CO/10, paragraph 27). Notingthat only three child victims of trafficking have benefited from rehabilitation services in the Isange OSCs, the Committee requests the Government to strengthen its efforts to provide the necessary direct assistance to child victims of commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking, and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. In this regard, it requests the Government to: (i) provide information on the measures taken to ensure that more child victims are referred to Isange OSCs, including by implementing the Child Protection Case Management Framework; and (ii) continue to provide information on the number of persons under the age of 18 who benefited from rehabilitation and social integration assistance, including in the Isange OSCs.

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