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

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Kiribati (Ratification: 2009)

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (c). Use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the Ministry of Employment and Human Resources (MEHR), through its Work Relations Unit, continues to coordinate efforts to ensure the effective implementation and enforcement of the legal prohibitions under section 118 of the Employment and Industrial Relations Code (EIRC), 2015. It also notes that, while no cases have been officially reported involving children in drug production, preventive actions have been undertaken to reduce related risks. These include community outreach through schools, churches, and local organizations, and awareness-raising on the legal consequences of involving children in any form of criminal or harmful activities. The Committee further notes the Government’s indication that it continues to seek technical assistance and support from the ILO and other partners to strengthen detection, prevention, and enforcement mechanisms in this area. The Committee requests the Government to continue to ensure the effective implementation of sections 118(h) and (i) of the EIRC. It also requests the Government to continue to provide information on the progress achieved by the MEHR and the Child Labour Task Force to reinforce the work of the relevant law enforcement bodies for the identification, investigation, and prosecution of offences related to the use, procuring, or offering of a child for illicit activities, particularly for the production and trafficking of drugs. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations, prosecutions, and convictions, as well as on the penalties imposed for such offences.

Article 7(1). Penalties. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the amendment of section 118(2) of the EIRC is scheduled for 2025 as part of a broader reform of the EIRC. The Government indicates that the amendment aims to strengthen existing sanctions by introducing more dissuasive and proportionate penalties, including higher fines, custodial sentences, and administrative measures such as the suspension or revocation of licenses for repeat or serious offenders.

The Committee notes that this amendment process is led by the MEHR in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office, and that it is technically aligned with relevant ILO standards. The Government further indicates that the proposed amendment is expected to be tabled during the next Parliamentary Bill session in August 2025, subject to Cabinet endorsement and the legislative schedule. The Committee expresses the hope that the amendment of section 118(2) of the EIRC, aimed at ensuring the application of sufficiently effective and dissuasive sanctions on perpetrators of the worst forms of child labour, will be finalized and adopted in the near future. It requests the Government to provide information on any progress made in this regard and to transmit a copy of the amended provision once adopted.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (a). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour. Access to free basic education. The Committee notes the Government’s information that the implementation of the Free Education Policy has resulted in consistent enrolment rates across all levels of education, with efforts under way to improve retention and transition from lower to secondary education, and to enhance gender parity. The Committee observes that, according to the information provided by the Government, the total number of students enrolled in 2023 was 17,777 (9,151 boys and 8,626 girls), compared with 18,719 in 2022 (9,520 boys and 9,199 girls).

The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that children with disabilities are mainstreamed in selected model schools in South Tarawa. It notes that the Ministry of Education (MOE) provides financial support for special schools, including the payment of teacher salaries, and indicates that 20 trained teacher assistants are currently supporting inclusive education across targeted schools.

The Government further indicates that a number of challenges persist, including: (1) the geographic dispersion of islands, which poses logistical difficulties in service delivery; (2) limited internet connectivity, particularly in outer island schools, affecting access to digital learning; (3) the need for continued information and communication technology training for teachers and school leaders; and (4) resource constraints affecting research, policy evaluation, and the maintenance of the Kiribati Education Management Information System (KEMIS).

Recalling that education is key in preventing children from becoming engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to continue its efforts to improve the functioning of the education system and to ensure access to free education for all children, by focusing on increasing the school attendance rate and reducing school drop-out rates at both primary and lower secondary levels, including for children in disadvantaged situations. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the impact of the specific measures taken in this regard, including under the Free Education Policy and the results achieved, in terms of statistics on school enrolment, attendance, and drop-out rates disaggregated by age and gender.

Clause (d). Children at special risk. Vulnerability to climate change. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that it recognizes the significant and growing threat that climate change poses to the rights and well-being of children, including their increased vulnerability to the worst forms of child labour. The Government indicates that, through the Ministry of Women, Youth, Sports, and Social Affairs (MWYSSA), several targeted and time-bound measures have been undertaken to strengthen child protection in the context of climate change impacts.

The Committee notes the Government’s information that a national Child Protection Referral Pathway, officially endorsed in 2021, classifies child labour (including cases exacerbated by climate-related displacement, poverty, or disruption) as a form of child abuse. It notes that implementation began in 2023, with more than 80 community sessions conducted to date, reaching over 5,000 people, and that this implementation continues with the aim of achieving full coverage across all communities in the Gilbert and Phoenix Island groups.

The Committee further notes from the information provided by the Government that MWYSSA has also integrated climate change and disaster risk management into its child protection framework. This integration is embedded in the Ministry’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030, ensuring that climate considerations are incorporated into all child-focused planning, policymaking, and service delivery. The Committee also notes that UNICEF Pacific has partnered with the ministries responsible for climate change, including in Kiribati, to strengthen climate resilience within social services.

The Committee observes from the Kiribati Natural Disasters and Climate Change Survey 2023–2024 that, according to data from the Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), younger populations, particularly in their early years, are the most affected by natural disasters. The Committee requests the Government to continue its efforts to protect children from the worst forms of child labour arising from the effects of climate change. It also requests the Government to continue to provide information on the time-bound measures taken in this regard, including the implementation and results of the MWYSSA Strategic Plan 2025–2030, the Child Protection Referral Pathway, and the collaboration with UNICEF and the ministries of Kiribati responsible for climate change.