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

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Solomon Islands (Ratification: 2013)

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy for the elimination of child labour and application in practice. The Committee notes with interest the adoption of the National Children Policy 2023–2028, which contains: (1) in its Outcome 3, the protection of all children from physical harm, emotional stress and exploitation, including from child labour; and (2) the indication that child labour and exploitation are concerns in the country, particularly in extractive and retail industries (for example, fishing, mining and logging). The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken, including within the framework of the National Children Policy 2023–2028, to ensure the progressive elimination of child labour. It also requests the Government to provide updated statistical information on the nature, extent, and trends of child labour.

Scope of application and labour inspectorate. Children working in the informal economy. The Committee previously noted that, according to the ILO Rapid Assessment of Children in Child Labour in Honiara, Solomon Islands, published in 2016, 118 out of 172 working children interviewed for the assessment were working mainly in the urban informal sector, some of them in work considered as hazardous.

The Committee notes the Government’s general indication that, in practice, labour inspections are always conducted within the sectors where the occurrence of child labour is suspected, more often at logging camps and mining sites. The Committee notes however that the Government does not indicate the number of inspections undertaken or of violations detected with regard to child labour. It further notes the Government’s indication that it would like to request technical assistance to train labour inspectors in the identification of child labour. The Committee hopes that the technical assistance requested by the Government will be provided in the near future with a view to ensuring that: (i) the capacity of the labour inspectorate is strengthened and its reach expanded to effectively detect cases of child labour, particularly in sectors where the prevalence of child labour is high, such as in fishing, mining and logging; and (ii) all children under 14 years of age, particularly children working on their own account or in the informal economy, benefit from the protection laid down by the Convention. It requests the Government to provide information on: (i) any developments in this respect; and (ii) on the number of inspections carried out and the number and nature of violations detected and penalties applied.

Article 9(1). Penalties. The Committee previously noted that section 52 of the Labour Act lays down a financial penalty of 5,000 Solomon Islands dollars (approximately US$636) for persons who contravene the provisions concerning the employment of children and young persons and requested the Government to provide information on the application of this penalty in practice. Noting the absence of information provided on this point, the Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the practical application of section 52 of the Labour Act, including the number and type of violations of the provisions on the employment of children and young persons detected and of penalties imposed.