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

Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Burundi (Ratification: 2002)

Article 3(b) of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Use, procuring or offering of children for prostitution. The Committee notes with regret that, once again, the Government does not provide information in reply to its previous comments. The Committee once again requests the Government to provide information on the number of investigations conducted and prosecutions carried out, and the number and nature of penalties imposed on individuals who engage in the use, procuring or offering of a child under 18 years of age for prostitution.

Articles 3(d) and 4(1). Determination of hazardous types of work. The Committee notes the adoption of Ministerial Order No. 570/285 of 19 February 2024 regulating child labour. It notes with interest that, pursuant to section 280 of the Labour Code, the Order sets out a list of hazardous work prohibited to children under the age of 18 years, in particular night work, handling of heavy loads, extraction of minerals, and work that may harm their morals, such as work in bars. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the application in practice of section 280 of the Labour Code and Chapter III of Ministerial Order No. 570/285, including the number and nature of the violations detected and the penalties imposed in relation to child labour in hazardous work.

Articles 5 and 6. Monitoring mechanisms and programmes of action. The Committee notes with interest the Government’s indications that the National action plan for the elimination of child labour and its worst forms (PAN/LTE-PF) 2024–2027 has been adopted. The Committee notes that the prevention measures envisaged under the PAN/LTE-PF 2024–2027 include activities to strengthen the capacities of key stakeholders involved in combating child labour and its worst forms, in particular the juvenile police, judicial police officers, judges and local elected officials.

The Committee notes that, according to the observations of the Trade Union Confederation of Burundi (COSYBU), the PAN/LTE-PF 2024–2027 has been drafted but has not yet been implemented. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken to implement the PAN/LTE-PF 2024–2027, particularly with regard to strengthening the capacities of the law enforcement authorities, with the aim of preventing and detecting cases of the worst forms of child labour. It also requests the Government to provide information on the impact of the measures taken in this regard.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clause (b). Removing children from the worst forms of child labour and providing for their rehabilitation and social integration. Commercial sexual exploitation. In its previous comments, the Committee noted the large number of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation, including orphaned girls or girls separated from their families who had come to the major cities for employment as domestic workers. It also noted the creation of four national integrated centres for victims of trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation.

The Committee notes that one of the objectives of the PAN/LTE-PF 2024–2027 is to reduce the vulnerability of working children to the worst forms of child labour through social and educational reintegration initiatives. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on: (i) the concrete measures taken to identify and protect child victims of commercial sexual exploitation, including in the context of the implementation of the PAN/LTE-PF 2024–2027; and (ii) the number of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation who were taken in at the integrated care centres and who received care in order to help them rehabilitate and integrate into society.

Clause (d). Children at special risk. Child HIV/AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children. Further to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s indications that there is a national policy for orphans and other vulnerable children. The Committee further notes that, according to the Government’s 2024 report submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC): (1) the Ministry for the Protection of Children ensures the coordination and implementation of the National policy for orphans and other vulnerable children; (2) according to a study, one in five children is an orphan (around 900,000 enfants), one third of whom are orphans due to war and another third whose parents have died from AIDS; and (3) to curb this phenomenon, the Government has implemented, inter alia, the National Policy for Child Protection in Burundi 2020–2024 and the National alternative care policy for children in Burundi (CRC/C/BDI/3-5, paras 19, 88 and 90).

The Committee notes that, in its observations, COSYBU requests the Government to pursue its efforts to ensure that child HIV/AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children are protected from the worst forms of child labour, particularly by continuing to provide assistance for access to education and care, in collaboration with the social partners. Recalling the HIV/AIDS orphans are at an increased risk of engagement in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information on the measures taken to protect child HIV/AIDS orphans and other vulnerable children from the worst forms of child labour, particularly by ensuring the implementation of various existing action plans and strategies. The Committee also requests the Government to provide information on the results achieved in this regard.

Article 8. International cooperation and assistance. Poverty reduction. The Committee notes the Government’s indications that it implemented a preliminary strategy to reduce poverty, which sets out measures to ensure food security and social protection for vulnerable children. The Government also refers to Merankabandi programme, which supports vulnerable families through, inter alia, money transfers.

The Committee notes that, according to the UNICEF Annual Report 2024, Burundi is one of the poorest countries, with 62 per cent of the population living below the poverty line. Of the country’s children, 64 per cent live in multidimensional poverty in terms of access to food, health, water, housing and education. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the impact of these poverty reduction strategies on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour.