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

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Egypt (Ratification: 1955)

Articles 1(1) and 2(1) of the Convention. Use of conscripts for non-military purposes. The Committee has been requesting the Government to amend section 1 of Act No. 76 of 1973 “On public (civic) service for young persons who have completed their studies”, by virtue of which young persons (male and female) who have completed their studies, and who are surplus to the requirements of the armed forces, may be directed to work in the development of rural and urban societies, agricultural and consumers’ cooperative associations, and work in production units of factories. It also recalls that military service is compulsory in Egypt according to article 58 of the Constitution and under the National Conscript Law, 1948.

The Committee notes the Government’s information in its report that draft amendments to some sections of Act No. 76 of 1973 were prepared for their submission to the House of Representatives. The proposal is still under examination with a commitment not to add any sections to the new text which would oblige young persons who have completed the educational stages to perform the civic service. The Government further explains that the legislator intended to foster organized collective work, engage young people in community service and equip them with skills relevant to the labour market, and address human needs in various development sectors. In this regard, the Government refers to a number of incentives to value the participation of the young recruits, including: (i) a monthly reward and other benefits; (ii) provision of real job opportunities since a contract would be made with young recruits of a high level of practical and scientific competence in some ministries and institutions; and (iii) the obtention of a certificate of experience in the field of service performed in the year of assignment; (iv) practical experience which will qualify the recruits for the labour market. According to the statistical information provided by the Government, the number of recruits has been increasing over the years, from 115,294 in 2020 to 134,983 in 2024. In general, all applications of young recruits are accepted to perform one year assignments, though in 2023, 7800 recruits were exempted based on exceptional grounds, e.g. recruits who have secured an actual job opportunity.

The Committee takes due note of these measures. The Committee recalls that, the practice of making young people participate in the country’s economic and social development as part of their compulsory military service or instead of it on the basis that they are surplus of the requirements of the armed forced (as it is the case under Act No.76 of 1973) goes beyond the exceptions allowed under the Convention. Moreover, as indicated in its previous comments, this practice is also incompatible with the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105), which provides for the abolition of any form of compulsory labour as a means of mobilizing and using labour for purposes of economic development. In addition, the Committee recalls that under section 1 of Act No. 76 of 1973 (as amended by Act No. 98 of 1975) any young person assigned to perform public service must submit, as a condition preceding employment – whether in the public or private sector – an official certificate from the Minister of Social Affairs attesting to the completion of one year of such service.

Considering the high number of young recruits performing public (civic) service, the Committee strongly hopes that the Government will take the necessary measures without delay to ensure that Act No. 76 of 1973 will be amended so as to ensure that general (civic) service is performed by young persons, solely on a voluntary basis without a menace of any penalty. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the number of persons who have performed such service on an annual basis, the number of persons who have applied for exemption from such service, the number of those applications that have been refused and the reasons for such refusal.

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