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Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) - Guyana (RATIFICATION: 2001)

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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, in its report, that the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act was not reviewed to introduce a provision prohibiting the use, procuring or offering of a child for the production or trafficking of drugs, but that it will keep the Office informed when such a review and amendments have been completed. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the outcome of the revision of the 1998 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, and to provide a copy of the respective amendments once adopted.

Article 4(3). Periodic examination and revision of the list of hazardous work. The Committee notes, from the Government’s report under the Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138), that it is considering revising its list of hazardous work and that it has sought ILO technical assistance in this regard. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the progress made towards the revision of the list of hazardous work prohibited for children under the age of 18 years and to supply a copy of the new list once adopted.

Article 6. Programmes of action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour. Trafficking of children. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that, in the framework of the National Plan of Action for the Prevention and Response to Trafficking in Persons, between 2017 and 2021, it conducted a series of training and awareness activities for immigration officers, police officers, diplomats, medical practitioners, prosecutors, media personnel, labour officers and recruitment agents. The Government indicates that it will continue to invest resources to enhance capacity in the areas of investigation and prosecution, and that further awareness-raising activities will be held in schools. With regard to the amendments to the 2005 Combatting of Trafficking in Persons Act, previously referred to by the Government, the Committee notes that consultations were held, and proposed legislative amendments have been presented to the Attorney General Chambers for review and finalization. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the concrete measures taken or envisaged to eliminate the trafficking of children under the age of 18 years, including within the framework of the new National Plan of Action for the Prevention and Response to Trafficking in Persons. It also requests the Government to keep it informed on the measures taken to enhance the capacity of authorities to detect, investigate and prosecute trafficking in children, and to provide information on the number of investigations, prosecutions, convictions and penalties applied, specifically in cases of child trafficking. The Committee again requests the Government to provide information on any proposed or adopted amendments to the 2005 Combatting of Trafficking in Persons Act.

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, from the Government’s report under Convention No. 138: (1) the implementation of the Because We Care Cash Grant which offers direct cash transfers and school uniform vouchers to parents of children enrolled in both public and private schools. In 2021, a total of US$ 3.6 billion was spent under this programme, benefitting a total of 192,000 children; (2) that school uniform vouchers also benefitted students of all ages, from nursery to secondary, in both public and private schools across the country; (3) the implementation of the Hinterland Community-based School Feeding Programme, aimed at promoting community participation, student attendance, academic performance, and the nutrition of primary school children; and (4) that 11,156 persons benefited from the Government’s Guyana Online Academy (GOAL) Scholarship programme between 2021 and 2022.

The Committee also notes the Government’s indication that, in the framework of the National Policy for the Reintegration of Adolescent Mothers into the Formal School System, between 2018 and 2021, 58 adolescent mothers were reintegrated into the formal education system and 348 into an alternative education programme. The Government adds that from January to March 2022, 54 adolescent mothers benefitted from this policy.

The Committee further notes, from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019-2020, published by the Government, the Guyana Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF: (1) attendance rates were 96.6 per cent for primary school and 88.6 per cent for lower secondary school. However, 83 per cent of Amerindian children attended lower secondary school, compared to 93.7 per cent of African/Black children and 87 per cent of East Indian and mixed raced children; and (2) completion rates were 97.6 per cent for primary school and 82.2 per cent for lower secondary school. The Committee further notes, from the Government’s report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), that the enrolment rate at the primary school level reached 97.1 per cent (an increase from 92.71 per cent in 2017–18) (CCPR/C/GUY/3, 31 May 2022, paragraph 273). The Committee encourages the Government to pursue its efforts to ensure access to free basic education for all children, particularly for children of Amerindian communities, and to provide information on the results achieved.

Clause (b). Direct assistance for the removal of children from the worst forms of child labour, and for their rehabilitation and social integration. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that: (1) the Childcare and Protection Agency collaborates with the Countertrafficking in Persons Unit to provide victims with all the necessary support; (2) children rescued from sexual exploitation receive direct assistance by the Childcare and Protection Agency through the State Child Care Facilities, in the form of psychosocial support, trauma focus counselling, and the opportunity for educational pursuits and skills building; (3) the Childcare and Protection Agency will seek to reunite the children with their families if it is in their best interest and welfare to do so. If it is deemed not to be in their best interest, Permanence Planning will have to be conducted to provide them with a family through the Foster Care Programme or the Adoption Service, depending on the age of the child; and (4) the previously planned study on assessment of the problems of commercial sexual exploitation of children in Guyana was not conducted and the Government will provide an update once it becomes available. The Committee further notes, from the Government’s report under Convention No. 138, that: (1) the Childcare and Protection Agency is also responsible for conducting regular inspections of all children’s homes and orphanages and offering technical assistance to those that need to achieve the desired standards; and (2) there are also three Government Care Centres (safe houses) for children in extremely vulnerable situations which are managed and operated by the Childcare and Protection Agency. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing information on the effective and time-bound measures taken to provide the necessary direct assistance for the removal of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. The Committee also again requests the Government to provide information on the results of the study assessing the problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children in Guyana envisaged by the Government.

Clause (d). Identifying and reaching out to children at special risk.Children in street situations and Amerindian children. With respect to children in street situations and children belonging to Amerindian communities, the Government indicates that the Childcare and Protection Agency has launched a campaign titled “Every Child Safe”, aimed at working with key members of communities across Guyana to keep children safe. This includes removing children from the streets and other places that put them at risk and providing psychological and other support for vulnerable children and families. The Government indicates that the objective of the campaign is to foster change in communities by reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors for children’s wellbeing and generally developing caring and child-friendly communities. The Committee further notes, from the 2019–20 MICS Survey, that 16.7 per cent of Amerindian children are engaged in hazardous work. Recalling that children in street situations and children of Amerindian communities are at particular risk of becoming engaged in the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to pursue its efforts to protect these children from the worst forms of child labour and to provide information on results achieved.

HIV/AIDS orphans. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that there is a National AIDS Programme Secretariat (NAPS) within the Ministry of Health that provides support for children orphaned by HIV/AIDS. The NAPS links all adolescents to a support programme that offers extensive counselling, training for jobs, and linkages to job fairs and placement in jobs. The Government adds that the NAPS has implemented and will continue to implement the following measures: (1) each client is linked to a social worker for guidance; (2) collaboration with civil society organizations to build the capacity of the youth through peer education training and youth camps; (3) the provision of public assistance to all HIV persons; (4) Food Bank hampers for all persons who are financially challenged; and (5) frequent medical checks. The Committee notes with interest that, between 2021 and July 2022, 825 children benefited from the services offered by the NAPS. It also notes the Government’s commitment to continue implementing measures to ensure that children orphaned by HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable children are protected from the worst forms of child labour.