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

Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) - Congo (Ratification: 1999)

Article 1 of the Convention. National policy and application of the Convention in practice. In its previous comments, the Committee asked the Government to indicate the progress achieved regarding the formulation of the national employment policy, referred to in the national road map in the context of the Alliance 8.7 partnership for putting an end to modern slavery and child labour. The Committee notes the adoption of Order No. 2665 of 8 February 2014 establishing the structure and operation of the coordinating committee in the context of the Alliance 8.7 global partnership.

The Committee also notes Decree No. 2023–25 of 23 January 2023 concerning the establishment, organization, composition and functioning of the Children’s Parliament of the Congo, whose objectives include promoting and raising awareness of children’s rights and encouraging children to express themselves and formulate draft solutions to issues that concern them.

However, the Committee notes the absence of information on progress made in the context of the road map for 2023–25. The Committee therefore once again requests the Government to indicate the progress achieved in relation to the activities set out in the national road map for 2023–25 for putting an end to child labour, in particular the formulation of the national employment policy.

Article 2(1). Scope of application. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indication that a training programme has been set up in partnership with the ILO to strengthen the institutional capacities of the labour inspectorate. The first phase of this programme comprises three training modules, namely: (i) training of trainers for 15 labour inspectors; (ii) training on strategic planning for compliance; and (iii) training on occupational risks in the construction and public work sectors. In this regard, the Government highlights the upcoming initial training of 120 new inspectors and indicates that the national road map provides for strengthening the institutional and technical capacities of the labour inspectorate in the fight against child labour.

The Committee notes the Government’s indications that it has requested ILO assistance to help incorporate the relevant provisions of international labour Conventions on child labour into the preliminary draft Labour Code. In this regard, it indicates that the process of revising the Labour Code has resulted, among other things, in the removal of the exemption under section 116 granted by the Ministry of Education to allow the employment of children under 16 years of age. The Government also emphasizes that preparatory work is under way with a view to convening the National Labour Advisory Council, which will be required to give its preliminary opinion on the draft Labour Code before this is submitted to the National Parliament for adoption. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to apply section 68 of the Child Protection Act (Act No. 4-2010 of 14 June 2010) prohibiting the involvement of children under 16 years of age in work, whether within the family sphere or in the formal or informal economies. The Committee further requests the Government to provide detailed information on measures taken during the training of inspectors or other steps taken to adapt the labour inspection services to ensure that children under 14 years of age who work on their own account or in the informal economy, particularly in rural areas, benefit from the protection afforded by the Convention. The Committee trusts that the process of revising the Labour Code will be completed very soon and that the Government will finally be in a position to report on the revision of section 116 of the Labour Code.