Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports
Côte d'Ivoire
Significant Advancement
In 2021, Côte d’Ivoire made significant advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The Ivoirian government eliminated school fees in January 2021 and increased the number of labor inspectors by 10 percent. The government also hired 150 field staff to support labor inspectors in cocoa farming zones and drafted a new National Sustainable Cocoa Strategy to Fight Deforestation, Child Labor, and Low Farmer Incomes in the cocoa sector. In addition, the First Lady and Head of the National Committee for Surveillance inaugurated a third center for survivors of trafficking, exploitation, and child labor located in Ferkessédougou. However, children in Côte d’Ivoire are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in forced labor in the harvesting of cocoa and coffee. The government does not have a mechanism to assess civil penalties for labor law violations and the lack of financial resources and personnel may have hindered labor law enforcement efforts.
Children in Côte d’Ivoire are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in the harvesting of cocoa and coffee. (1-3) According to a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey conducted in 2016, 21.5 percent of children ages 5 to 17 are engaged in hazardous work. (4) In addition, NORC at the University of Chicago released a report detailing findings from a sectorally representative survey conducted in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana during the cocoa harvesting season of 2018–2019. This report found an increase in child labor (and hazardous child labor) in cocoa production during the 10 year timeframe since the survey in 2008–2009. (5) Table 1 provides key indicators on children’s work and education in Côte d’Ivoire. Data on some of these indicators are not available from the sources used in this report.
|
Children |
Age |
Percent |
|---|---|---|
|
Working (% and population) |
5 to 14 |
25.6 (Unavailable) |
|
Attending School (%) |
5 to 14 |
70.1 |
|
Combining Work and School (%) |
7 to 14 |
21.8 |
|
Primary Completion Rate (%) |
80.5 |
Source for primary completion rate: Data from 2020, published by UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2022. (6)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis of statistics from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 5 (MICS 5), 2016. (4)
Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.
|
Sector/Industry |
Activity |
|---|---|
|
Agriculture |
Production of cocoa, including burning† and clearing fields;† cutting down trees† to expand cocoa plantations; spraying pesticides;† harvesting, drying, and fermenting cocoa beans; using sharp tools to break pods;† and transporting heavy loads† of cocoa pods and water (1-3,5,7-10) |
|
Production of cereals, pineapple, bananas, and coffee, including applying chemical fertilizers,† spraying pesticides,† cutting down trees,† and burning† and clearing fields† (2,3,11,12) |
|
|
Production of palm oil, honey, cashews, and rubber (1-3,9) |
|
|
Fishing, including deep sea diving;† repairing and hauling nets; and cleaning,† salting, drying, descaling, and selling fish (1-3,12) |
|
|
Production of charcoal† (1,8,11) |
|
|
Forestry (9,13) |
|
|
Industry |
Mining,† including crushing and transporting stones, blasting rocks, digging, working underground, sieving, and extracting gold with mercury or cyanide (1,3,7,9,12,14) |
|
Manufacturing, including repairing automobiles (9,12) |
|
|
Construction,† activities unknown (12) |
|
|
Services |
Domestic work (2-4,7,9,12,15) |
|
Working in transportation and carrying goods† (1,3,7,9,11,12) |
|
|
Street vending and commerce (2,3,7,9,11,12,14) |
|
|
Work in restaurants (2,14,16) |
|
|
Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡ |
Mining, carpentry, construction, domestic work, street vending, restaurants, and agriculture, including in the production of cocoa, coffee, cotton, and rubber, each sometimes as a result of human trafficking (3,5,9,11,16) |
|
Commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (3,9,14) |
|
|
Use in illicit activities, including drug trafficking (17) |
|
|
Begging as talibés by Koranic teachers, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (18) |
† Determined by national law or regulation as hazardous and, as such, relevant to Article 3(d) of ILO C. 182.
‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.
Children from Côte d’Ivoire are subjected to human trafficking for forced labor in domestic work within the country and North Africa. Children are also brought from neighboring West African countries to Côte d’Ivoire for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor, including in begging, cocoa production, and artisanal mining. (2,11,15,16)
School is mandatory for children ages 6 to 16 in Côte d’Ivoire. Although the Law on Education provides for free education, students are often required to pay for textbooks and uniforms, which may be prohibitive to some families. (2,9,19-23) In addition, birth registration identity documents are required for students to take entrance exams for secondary school, posing a barrier to continued education beyond primary level. It is estimated that there are approximately one million children who do not have these necessary documents. (3)
A shortage of teachers, poor school infrastructure, lack of transportation systems in rural areas, inadequate sanitation facilities, and violence have negatively impacted children's ability to attend school. (2,3) Research also suggests that some students are physically and sexually abused at school, which may deter some students from attending school. Because of this, roughly one in four girls in Côte d’Ivoire are not able to attend primary school. (2,9,20,24,25)
Results from the International Cocoa Initiatives' Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System indicate that children working in hazardous working conditions increased, which is at least partially attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. (26) Research showed that despite an upward spike in child labor during the partial government shutdown as a reaction to the pandemic, in cocoa producing areas the level of child labor returned to pre-pandemic levels at the end of the partial government shut down. (27) Research also indicates that between 2008 and 2019, there were significant increases in cocoa production and, during that time, child labor in high producing zones remained stable. However, in small- and medium-producing zones, child labor increased. (5,10) During this time though, there was an increase in children attending schools in cocoa-growing areas. (5,10)
Côte d'Ivoire has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).
|
Convention |
Ratification |
|---|---|
|
ILO C. 138, Minimum Age |
✓ |
|
ILO C. 182, Worst Forms of Child Labor |
✓ |
|
UN CRC |
✓ |
|
UN CRC Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict |
✓ |
|
UN CRC Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography |
✓ |
|
Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons |
✓ |
The government's laws and regulations are in line with relevant international standards (Table 4).
|
Standard |
Meets International Standards |
Age |
Legislation |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Minimum Age for Work |
Yes |
16 |
Article 23.2 of the Labor Code; Article 16 of the Constitution (21,28) |
|
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work |
Yes |
18 |
Article 4 of the Prohibitions of Hazardous Work List (29) |
|
Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children |
Yes |
Articles 5–11 of the Prohibitions of Hazardous Work List; Articles 6 and 19 of the Prohibition of Trafficking and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Law (29,30) |
|
|
Prohibition of Forced Labor |
Yes |
Article 5 of the Constitution; Articles 7, 11–14, 20–23, and 26 of the Prohibition of Trafficking and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Law; Article 3 of the Labor Code (21,28,30) |
|
|
Prohibition of Child Trafficking |
Yes |
Article 5 of the Constitution; Articles 11, 12, 20–22, and 26 of the Prohibition of Trafficking and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Law; Article 370 of the Penal Code; Articles 4.4 and 6 of the Anti-Trafficking Law (21,30-32) |
|
|
Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children |
Yes |
Articles 8, 9, 15, and 24–29 of the Prohibition of Trafficking and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Law; Articles 4.4 and 6 of the Anti-Trafficking Law (29,30,32) |
|
|
Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities |
Yes |
Articles 4 and 30 of the Prohibition of Trafficking and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Law (30) |
|
|
Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment |
Yes |
18 |
Article 56.4 of the Armed Forces Code; Articles 7–8 and 18 of the Law Determining the Conditions for Entering the Military (33,34) |
|
Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military |
Yes* |
Article 56.4 of the Armed Forces Code (33) |
|
|
Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups |
Yes |
Articles 4 and 31 of the Prohibition of Trafficking and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Law (30) |
|
|
Compulsory Education Age |
Yes |
16 |
Article 10 of the Constitution; Article 2.1 of the Law on Education (21-23) |
|
Free Public Education |
Yes |
Article 2 of the Law on Education (23) |
* Country has no conscription (34,35)
The Ivoirian government followed through on previously reported commitments to reduce costs related to schooling by eliminating school fees in January 2021. (3) Further, the government continued revising the civil code to include more specific designations of the minimum age at which certain types of work can be performed. (2)
The government has established institutional mechanisms for the enforcement of laws and regulations on child labor (Table 5). However, gaps exist within the operations of enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate enforcement of child labor laws.
|
Organization/Agency |
Role |
|---|---|
|
Ministry of Employment and Social Protection (MEPS) |
Develops, proposes, and enforces all labor laws, including those related to child labor. (2,9,36,37) The Anti-Trafficking Unit, a Sub-Directorate, and the Ministry of Women, Family, and Children provide support to victims of child trafficking and other forms of child labor. (2,15) MEPS has authority over the child labor monitoring system, Système d’Observation et de Suivi du Travail des Enfants en Côte d’Ivoire (SOSTECI), which enables communities to collect and analyze statistical data on the worst forms of child labor. As of the preparation of this report, there are 20,000 local SOSTECI committees in operation for the purpose of improving local coordination and exchange of information on child labor and child welfare in cocoa production areas. (2,3,7,9,12) The General Labor Directorate in Abidjan coordinates the regional offices and their efforts to address child labor. (9,17,38) |
|
Ministry of the Interior and Security |
Through its Anti-Trafficking Unit, leads efforts to enforce criminal laws against child trafficking. Through its Brigades Mondaine (Vice Squads), addresses commercial sexual exploitation, including the exploitation of children. (2) Through its Unit for Combating Transnational Organized Crime, supports UNODC’s West Africa Coast Initiative, which aims to improve cross-border cooperation to address crimes, including human trafficking. (35,39) The government reports having increased the annual budget of the Anti-Child Trafficking and Juvenile Delinquency Division Unit (La Sous-direction de la Police Criminelle chargée de la Lutte Contre la Traite d’Enfants et la Délinquance Juvenile [SDLTEDJ]), from $10,000 in 2018 to $200,000 in 2021. This budget covers the operation of the six regional branch offices and the central bureau in Abidjan. (3) In 2021, SDLTDEJ gained 200 police officers to increase regular investigations in the cocoa production zones and to patrol borders for child trafficking. (3) |
|
Ministry of Defense |
Through its National Gendarmerie, investigates child labor violations in rural areas where there is no police presence. (2) |
|
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights |
Investigates and prosecutes crimes related to child labor, including its worst forms. Through its Directorate of Judicial Protection of Childhood and Youth, assists with investigations and implements the ministry’s child protection policy. (2) The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights is charged with rehabilitating children who have been detained or arrested. (9) |
|
Ministry of Women, Family, and Children |
Leads the government’s efforts to address human trafficking and implements a National Policy on Child Protection. (2,40) Provides support to child labor victims in coordination with MEPS. (2,41)During the reporting period, the Ministry of Woman, Family, and Child established 1,150 community action groups to address child labor. These action groups were a part of a national mapping project to geolocate and create data profiles on cocoa farms and farmers. (3) |
Labor Law Enforcement
In 2021, labor law enforcement agencies in Côte d’Ivoire took actions to address child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the operations of the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection (MEPS) that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including human resource allocation.
|
Overview of Labor Law Enforcement |
2020 |
2021 |
|---|---|---|
|
Labor Inspectorate Funding |
$300,169 (9) |
$305,588 (3) |
|
Number of Labor Inspectors |
281 (9) |
310 (3) |
|
Mechanism to Assess Civil Penalties |
No (28) |
No (28) |
|
Initial Training for New Labor Inspectors |
Yes (9) |
Yes (3) |
|
Training on New Laws Related to Child Labor |
N/A (9) |
N/A (3) |
|
Refresher Courses Provided |
Yes (9) |
Yes (3) |
|
Number of Labor Inspections Conducted |
1,659 (9) |
2,836 (3) |
|
Number Conducted at Worksite |
1,659 (9) |
2,836 (3) |
|
Number of Child Labor Violations Found |
Unknown (9) |
0 (3) |
|
Number of Child Labor Violations for Which Penalties Were Imposed |
Unknown (9) |
N/A (3) |
|
Number of Child Labor Penalties Imposed that Were Collected |
N/A (9) |
N/A (3) |
|
Routine Inspections Conducted |
Yes (9) |
Yes (3) |
|
Routine Inspections Targeted |
Yes (9) |
Yes (3) |
|
Unannounced Inspections Permitted |
Yes (28) |
Yes (28) |
|
Unannounced Inspections Conducted |
Yes (9) |
Yes (3) |
|
Complaint Mechanism Exists |
Yes (9) |
Yes (3) |
|
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Labor Authorities and Social Services |
Yes (9) |
Yes (3) |
During the reporting period 25 offices were newly equipped with vehicles. In addition, the government rehabilitated several labor inspectorate facilities, provided equipment, and provided fuel for vehicles to increase the number of site inspections. (3)
The number of labor inspectors is likely insufficient for the size of Côte d’Ivoire’s workforce, which includes approximately 8,747,000 workers. According to the ILO's technical advice of a ratio approaching 1 inspector for every 15,000 workers in developing economies, Côte d’Ivoire would need to employ roughly 584 labor inspectors. (42,43) Labor inspectors are also tasked with dispute conciliation, which may detract from their primary duties of inspection. (28,44) The labor inspectorate suffers from a lack of resources, including insufficient staff. (3,36,37) While some labor inspections are done in the informal sector, the majority of the inspections are done in the formal sector where child labor is less likely to occur. (9,45,46)
Criminal Law Enforcement
In 2021, criminal law enforcement agencies in Côte d’Ivoire took actions to address child labor (Table 7). However, gaps exist within the operations of enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate criminal law enforcement, including human resource allocation.
|
Overview of Criminal Law Enforcement |
2020 |
2021 |
|---|---|---|
|
Initial Training for New Criminal Investigators |
Yes (9) |
Yes (3) |
|
Training on New Laws Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor |
N/A (9) |
N/A (3) |
|
Refresher Courses Provided |
Yes (9) |
Yes (3) |
|
Number of Investigations |
500 (9) |
Unknown |
|
Number of Violations Found |
298 (9) |
Unknown |
|
Number of Prosecutions Initiated |
298 (9) |
Unknown |
|
Number of Convictions |
Unknown (9) |
Unknown |
|
Imposed Penalties for Violations Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor |
No (9) |
Yes (3) |
|
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Criminal Authorities and Social Services |
Yes (9) |
Yes (3) |
While the government provided data on investigations, violations, prosecutions initiated, and convictions related to child labor and its worst forms, research was unable to disaggregate this information from other information related to child abuse. (3) However, in May 2021, the government organized an operation called “Coup de Poing NAWA 2,” in the town of Soubré, an intensive cocoa production zone, in which 68 children were removed from working in cocoa farms. The Anti-Child Trafficking and Juvenile Delinquency Division (SDLTEDJ) transferred the victims to the government’s center in Soubré, where they received psychological and educational assistance. (3) Some victims remained at the center instead of returning to their families. They attended school or learned skills, such as animal husbandry, horticulture, tailoring, hairdressing, or iron works. (3) Defendants in this case were prosecuted in the department of Soubré; five defendants were prosecuted for child trafficking and received sentences of 20 years' imprisonment, while 17 defendants were convicted of dangerous forms of child labor and received sentences of five years' imprisonment. (3)
The Anti-Trafficking Unit continued to lack the resources and personnel to adequately enforce criminal child labor laws throughout the country. (3,46,47)
The government has established mechanisms to coordinate its efforts to address child labor (Table 8). However, gaps exist that hinder the effective coordination of efforts to address child labor, including a lack of coordination of data collection among ministries and regions.
|
Coordinating Body |
Role & Description |
|---|---|
|
National Monitoring Committee on Actions to Combat Trafficking, Exploitation, and Child Labor (CNS) |
Supervises, monitors, and evaluates all government activities related to child labor and child trafficking, including making policy recommendations and harmonizing laws with international conventions. (2,46,47) Chaired by the First Lady of Côte d’Ivoire and comprises 16 international and domestic partners. (2,14,15,46,48) During the reporting period, CNS collaborated with the governmental Coffee and Cocoa Council (Conseil Café Cacao, or CCC) to contract 150 individuals who were trained in child labor investigations to support the work of the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection (MEPS) labor inspectors in cocoa farming zones. These CNS contractors are equipped with motorcycles and smartphones to provide farming households with information about stopping child labor and are authorized to collect information on child labor in order to support reporting of cases of trafficking, exploitation, and child labor to competent authorities. (3) |
|
Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Fight Against Trafficking, Exploitation, and Child Labor (CIM) |
Designs, coordinates, and implements all government actions to address the worst forms of child labor, and monitors relevant programs implemented by partner organizations.(46,48-50) Chaired by MEPS, includes representatives from 12 other ministries. (15,46,48,50) |
|
National Committee for the Fight Against Trafficking (CNLTP) |
Formed in support of the 2016 Anti-Trafficking Law and chaired by the Prime Minister, aims to fight human trafficking throughout Côte d’Ivoire. Oversees the implementation of the National Action Plan and Strategy Against Human Trafficking, coordinates government efforts, and monitors implementation of all projects related to human trafficking. (51) Includes representation at the local level through dedicated units charged with implementing the National Action Plan and Strategy Against Human Trafficking. (51,52) The Ministry of Women, Family, and Children serves as the executive secretariat and the committee comprises of 13 ministries. (17) During the reporting period, CNLTP organized a workshop with national committees to fight trafficking in persons from five other countries: Ghana, Togo, Benin, Guinea and Nigeria. (16) |
|
Office of the First Lady |
Engages with international partners on child labor issues in the cocoa trade and puts pressure on industry sourcing cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire to increase traceability. (16,53,54) The Ivorian First Lady’s office remains the key driver of the government’s anti-trafficking efforts. (53) |
|
The National Committee for Sustainable Cocoa (Comité National pour le Cacao Durable, or CNCD) * |
Responsible for implementing the National Sustainable Cocoa Strategy to fight deforestation, child labor, and low farmer income. During the reporting period, the committee drafted the National Sustainable Cocoa Strategy. (3) |
* Created during the reporting period.
The MEPS and ILO with European Union funding organized a workshop/strategy meeting for the 16 members of the Tripartite Advisory Committee on International Labor Standards (Comité Consultatif Tripartite sur les Normes Internationales du Travail, or CCTNIT), to improve data collection related to international child labor and trafficking conventions. (3)
The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including insufficient funding of key national policies.
|
Policy |
Description |
|---|---|
|
National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking, Exploitation, and Child Labor (2019–2023) |
Coordinated by CNS and the Inter-Ministerial Committee to Combat Trafficking, Exploitation, and Child Labor, aims to significantly reduce the number of children engaged in the worst forms of child labor by drawing on best practices and building on lessons learned from the implementation of previous national action plans. Priorities include increasing efforts to mobilize resources at the national level, reinforcing regional cooperation and public-private partnerships, incorporating worst forms of child labor considerations into national and sector-specific programming, and reinforcing the monitoring and evaluation of the national strategy for the fight against human trafficking and the worst forms of child labor. (55) During the reporting period, civil society, CNS, and the CIM gathered separately, to discuss progress implementing the National Action Plan for Combatting Trafficking, Exploitation, and Child Labor. As a result, the First Lady and President of the CNS, Ms. Dominique Ouattara, extended the validity of the National Action Plan to 2023. (3) |
|
2010 Declaration of Joint Action to Support the Implementation of the Harkin-Engel Protocol (2010 Declaration) and Its Accompanying Framework of Action |
Joint declaration by the Governments of Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and the United States, as well as the International Chocolate and Cocoa Industry. (49,56,57) Provides key stakeholders with resources and facilitates coordination of efforts to reduce the worst forms of child labor in cocoa-producing areas. Aims to ensure that all project efforts implemented under the Declaration and Framework align with Côte d’Ivoire’s national action plans to promote coherence and sustainability. (49,56-58) Governments of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire; USDOL-funded projects; and some industry-funded projects carried out activities that support the spirit of this policy during the reporting period. (9) |
|
Policies Involving SOSTECI |
Aim to strengthen and expand SOSTECI. Include partnership agreement between the International Cocoa Initiative and CNS in support of the National Action Plan to Combat Trafficking, Exploitation, and Child Labor. (2) The Decent Work Country Program (2017–2020), in collaboration with ILO, aimed to improve working conditions, strengthen SOSTECI, and address the worst forms of child labor. (59,60) The National Development Plan (2016–2020) allocated almost $6.1 million over 5 years to conduct diagnostic studies on child labor and child trafficking, construct three child protection centers, and develop a national action plan to address human trafficking, particularly of girls. (61) During the reporting period, the government organized a workshop involving relevant stakeholders (e.g., MEPS, MOIS, CIM, CNS) to discuss SOSTECI’s new provisions, rules, and procedures to support efforts to address child trafficking, exploitation, and child labor. In addition, the government provided training for 18 local SOSTECI committees located in Soubré. (3) |
|
Labor Inspection Strategy (2019–2021) |
Through the Ministry of Employment and Social Protection with assistance from ILO, aims to enable the government to ensure the application of legal provisions for the improvement of working conditions and the removal of children from work through the inspection of worksites, the provision of counseling, and monitoring. (13,45) In 2021, undertook activities related to building the capacity of the inspectors, monitoring of inspection units, and raising public awareness. (3) |
|
Compulsory Education Policy |
In support of the Law on Education, aims to achieve 100 percent enrollment in primary school by 2020 and 100 percent enrollment in junior high by 2025. (19) The government focused on increasing school enrollment in parts of the country where child labor is prevalent, such as in cocoa-growing regions. School enrollment of children in cocoa-growing regions increased from 59 percent in the 2008–2009 academic year to 85 percent in the 2018–2019 academic year. (8,9) During the reporting period, the government continued building schools and delivering school supplies to increase access to education. (3)However, there remains insufficient classroom space in rural areas for the number of students enrolled. UNICEF estimated the country needs another 30,000 classrooms. (9) |
‡ The government had other policies that may have addressed child labor issues or had an impact on child labor. (62)
The government drafted a new National Sustainable Cocoa Strategy (Stratégie Nationale de Cacao Durable) to fight Deforestation, Child Labor, and Low Farmer Incomes in the cocoa sector. (3) In addition, the government organized a workshop to identify the strategic priorities to achieve Target 8.7 of the Global Sustainable Development Goals, which seeks to eliminate child labor. (3)
Over the first six months of 2021, the EU multi-stakeholder dialogue for sustainable cocoa level have had a series of roundtables, so-called Cocoa Talks, which delved into significant dimensions of sustainability which include efforts to address child labor. (63)
In 2021, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor (Table 10). However, gaps exist in these social programs, including the inadequacy of programs to address the full scope of the problem in all sectors.
|
Program |
Description |
|---|---|
|
ACCEL AFRICA |
The program was co‐funded by the European Union, under the Project "Accelerate action for the elimination of child labor in Africa’s supply chains” (Accélérer l’action pour l’élimination du travail des enfants dans les chaines d’approvisionnement en Afrique, or ACCEL AFRICA). UNICEF and ILO representatives provided participants with strategies for synchronizing efforts to eradicate child labor. (64) During the reporting period, the government organized a workshop convening national and international experts to prepare a strategic plan for labor inspectors investigating cocoa farms. (3) |
|
Industry Funded Projects |
Aim to increase sustainability in the cocoa sector, improve farmer livelihoods and access to education – including increasing access to education opportunities for children – and address the worst forms of child labor in cocoa-growing areas. Some projects support the spirit of the 2010 Declaration. (59) In November 2017, the governments of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire signed an agreement to fight deforestation and protect the cocoa supply chain. During the reporting period, private industry continued to implement the Cocoa and Forests Initiative to this end. (65) |
|
Programs to Promote Education† |
Aim to raise school attendance rates in rural areas, particularly among girls, by providing school meals, facilitating birth registration, and constructing community schools (écoles de proximité). Include the $42.5 million, WFP-funded Integrated Program for Sustainable School Feeding; the Ministry of National Education School Feeding Program; (66) the McGovern-Dole School Feeding Program, a $25 million joint initiative between WFP and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in coordination with the Ministry of National Education, that benefited approximately 603,185 school children in FY 2020; (67) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact Skills for Employability and Productivity Project, which formally approved 20 of the expected 84 villages which would host the secondary schools and $37 million for Technical and Vocational Education Project (TVET), which solicited proposals from private sector partners on the creation of TVET centers. (68) |
|
World Bank-Funded Projects |
Aim to improve access to education and provide poverty relief. Include: Productive Social Safety Net (2015–2024), which has supported 127,000 beneficiary households (representing 766,253 individuals) of which 47,435 are women the main recipients of the cash transfers. In addition, the Unique Social Registry (RSU) currently counts 315,925 poor and vulnerable individuals, while progress is being made in terms of timely digital payments to beneficiaries. (69-71) |
|
USDOL-Funded Projects |
USDOL projects in cocoa-growing areas of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana aimed to eliminate child labor through research, monitoring, enforcement, and implementation and expansion of SOSTECI. These projects include: FLIP: $1,490,318 added to Verite-implemented project to expand work into Côte d'Ivoire in 2020. (72) CACAO: Implemented by Save the Children, $4,000,000 awarded in December, 2020. (73) Additional information is available on the USDOL website. |
† Program is funded by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire.
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor. (3)
During the reporting period, the government increased the 2022‐2024 budget for the government’s social services program (Programme Social du Gouvernement, or PSGouv) that funds child protection and anti‐child‐labor efforts, to roughly $5.5 billion (3,182 billion CFA). The primary focus of this fund is poverty reduction, which is viewed as the primary driver of child labor in Côte d’Ivoire. (3)
The First Lady and Head of the National Committee for Surveillance (CNS) inaugurated a third center for victims of trafficking, exploitation, and child labor located in Ferkessédougou. This center is operated by an NGO she supports called Children of Africa. (3,16)
In addition, the EU contributed $27.1 million to the sustainability of cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Cameroon. The purpose of this project is to provide decent living income for farmers, reverse the effects of deforestation, and eliminate child labor. (74)
Despite an increase in activities, the scope of existing programs, including in cocoa, is insufficient to fully address the extent of the child labor problem in Côte d’lvoire. (2,3) Current programming is not expansive enough, evidenced by the fact the child labor prevalence rate has not declined. The industry funded NORC report-also released in October 2020- found that programs like the Child labor monitoring and remediation system (CLMRS), access to quality to education, programs to increase farmer yields and household income need to be scaled and expanded to impact more families. (5)
Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in Côte d'Ivoire (Table 11).
|
Area |
Suggested Action |
Year(s) Suggested |
|---|---|---|
|
Enforcement |
Establish a mechanism to assess penalties for child labor violations. |
2014 – 2021 |
|
Ensure that labor inspectorate receives a sufficient amount of funding to conduct inspections and investigations throughout the country, including in the informal sector. |
2014 – 2021 |
|
|
Ensure that criminal law enforcement agencies receive the resources, personnel, and training needed to adequately enforce laws related to the worst forms of child labor. |
2018 – 2021 |
|
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Increase the number of labor inspectors to meet the ILO’s technical advice. |
2009 – 2021 |
|
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Disaggregate the information on criminal law enforcement efforts, including the number of convictions and penalties imposed for violations related to child labor and the worst forms of child labor. |
2019 – 2021 |
|
|
Social Programs |
Improve the accessibility and transportation capacity of schools; ensure that schools are free of physical and sexual abuse; and increase the number of teachers, textbooks, sanitation facilities, and schools, particularly in rural areas. Ensure that all children have access to birth registration and identity documents. |
2011 – 2021 |
|
Expand existing programs and institute new ones aimed at addressing the full scope of the child labor problem in Côte d'Ivoire, including the cocoa sector. |
2009 – 2021 |
|
|
Ensure that victims of the worst forms of child labor are able to access social services throughout the country. |
2015 – 2021 |
|
|
Ensure that there are sufficient classrooms available for all students enrolled. |
2020 – 2021 |
- Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Rapport de la Phase de Perennisation et d’Extension. Abidjan. September 2016. Source on file.
- U.S. Embassy- Abidjan. Reporting. January 24, 2020.
- U.S. Embassy- Abidjan. Reporting. February 8, 2022.
- Ministère du Plan et du Développement. La Situation des Femmes et des Enfants en Côte d’Ivoire: Enquête à Indicateurs Multiples 2016 - MICS5. 2016.
https://mics-surveys-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/MICS5/West and Central Africa/Côte d'Ivoire/2016/Final/Cote d'Ivoire 2016 MICS_French.pdf - NORC at the University of Chicago. Assessing Progress in Reducing Child Labor in Cocoa Growing Areas of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. October 2020.
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Accessed March 2021. For more information, please see "Children's Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions" in the Reference Materials section of this report.
http://data.uis.unesco.org/ - N’Guettia, M. Système d’Observation et de Suivi du Travail des Enfants en Côte d’Ivoire (SOSTECI). CLCCG Annual Meeting. Washington, DC, August 28, 2017. Source on file.
- International Cocoa Initiative Foundation. Our Results. 2017.
http://www.cocoainitiative.org/our-work/our-results/ - U.S. Department of State. Reporting. February 19, 2021.
- Corporate Accountability Lab Always Left Holding the Bag: The Economic Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cocoa Farmers and Children in Côte d’Ivoire. Corporate Accountability Lab & Mouvement Ivoirien des Droits Humains. December 2021 Source on file.
- Ministère d’Etat, Ministère de l’Emploi, des Affaires Sociales et de la Formation Professionnelle, et al. Etude des phénomènes de la traite et du travail des enfants dans les secteurs de l’agriculture, des mines, du transport, du commerce et du domestique. Abidjan. 2013. Source on file.
- Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Plan d'action national 2015–2017 de lutte contre les pires formes de travail des enfants. Abidjan. January 22, 2015. Source on file.
- U.S. Embassy- Abidjan. Reporting. February 22, 2019.
- U.S. Embassy- Abidjan. Reporting. February 25, 2021.
- Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire: Ministre d'Etat, Ministre du Plan et du Developpement, and ILO-BIT. Enquete Nationale sur le Situation de l'Emploi et du Travail des Enfants. Abidjan. November 2014. Source on file.
- U.S. Embassy- Abidjan. TIP Reporting. March 1, 2022
- U.S. Embassy- Abidjan. Reporting. January 19, 2018.
- Interpeace Enfants talibés et Ecoles coraniques en Côte d’Ivoire : Enjeux et perspectives May 2019
https://www.interpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/2019-Enfants-talibés-et-Ecoles-coraniques-CdI-Web-v15.pdf - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Reconstruisons notre système educatif. January 11, 2016. Source on file.
- U.S. Department of State. Country Report of Human Rights Practices- 2020: Côte d'Ivoire. Washington, DC, March 30, 2021.
https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/cote-divoire/ - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Loi N° 2016-886 du 08 Novembre 2016 Portant Constitution de la République de Côte d’Ivoire. Enacted: November 8, 2016.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/105198/128596/F-1769604843/CIV-105198.pdf - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Loi N° 2015-635 du 17 Septembre 2015 Portant Modification de la Loi N° 95-696 du 7 Septembre 1995 Relative à l'Enseignement. Enacted: September 17, 2015.
http://www.unesco.org/education/edurights/media/docs/dd772d376fde955a96fab3e19871f5f12b13f9d8.pdf - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Loi N° 95-696 du 7 Septembre 1995 Relative à l'Enseignement. Enacted: September 7, 1995.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=fr&p_isn=104174&p_count=1&p_classification=09 - UNICEF. Draft country programme document - Côte d'Ivoire. New York. June 6, 2016: E/ICEF/2016/P/L.34.
http://www.unicef.org/about/execboard/files/2016-PL34-Cote_dIvoire_draft_CPD-EN-21Jun2016.pdf - Atlantico. PROJECT AIMS TO TRANSFORM GIRLS’ EDUCATION IN IVORY COAST. April 2, 2020.
https://atlanticoonline.com/en/project-aims-to-transform-girls-education-in-ivory-coast/ - International Cocoa Initiative. Hazardous child labour in Côte d’Ivoire’s cocoa communities during COVID-19 July 2020.
https://www.cocoainitiative.org/sites/default/files/resources/ICI_rapid-analysis-covid-impact-child-labour-identifiation_1July2020-2_0.pdf - International Cocoa Initiative Foundation. CHANGES IN HAZARDOUS CHILD LABOUR IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE’S COCOA COMMUNITIES BEFORE AND AFTER COVID-19 PARTIAL LOCKDOWN. November 25, 2020.
https://www.cocoainitiative.org/knowledge-hub/resources/changes-hazardous-child-labour-cote-divoires-cocoa-communities-and-after - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Code du Travail, Loi N°2015-532. Enacted: July 20, 2015.
http://www.ccilci.org/communiques/autres/3028-code-du-travail-loi-n-2015-532 - Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Arrêté N° 2017-017 MEPS/CAB du 02 Juin 2017 déterminant la liste des travaux dangereux interdits aux enfants. Enacted: June 2, 2017.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/MONOGRAPH/104712/127840/F1597937352/CIV-104712.pdf - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Loi N° 2010-272 du 30 Septembre 2010 Portant Interdiction de la Traite et des Pires Formes de Travail des Enfants. Enacted: September 30, 2010.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/MONOGRAPH/85243/95376/F693526342/CIV-85243.pdf - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Code Pénal, N° 1981-640, amended by Law N° 1995-522. Enacted: July 31, 1981.
http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b5860.html - Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Loi Relative a la Lutte Contre la Traite des Personnes, Loi N° 2016-1111. Enacted: December 8, 2016. Source on file.
- Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Loi N° 2016-1109 Portant Code de la Fonction Militaire. Enacted: 2016.
http://www.loidici.com/codefoncmilitaire2016/fonctionmilitaire2016Recrutement.php - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Loi N° 96-572 Déterminant les Conditions d'Entrée dans la Carrière Militaire. Enacted: July 31, 1996. Source on file.
- U.S. Embassy- Abidjan. Reporting. February 21, 2018.
- U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2018: Côte d'Ivoire. Washington, DC, March 11, 2019.
https://www.state.gov/reports/2018-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/cote-divoire/ - U.S. Department of State. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices- 2020: Côte d'Ivoire. Washington, DC March 30, 2021
https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/cote-divoire/ - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Submission for CLCCG Annual Report 2017. Abidjan. March 6, 2018. Source on file.
- UN Office on Drugs and Crime. Côte d'Ivoire Country Page. Accessed March 6, 2018.
https://www.unodc.org/westandcentralafrica/en/cote-d-ivoire.html - Ministère de la Promotion de la Femme, de la Famille et de la Protection de l'Enfant. La Direction de la Protection de l'Enfant. February 1, 2016.
http://www.famille.gouv.ci/public/ - Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Referral Mechanism. Source on file.
- CIA. The World Factbook. January 19, 2017. Please see “Labor Law Enforcement: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/cote-divoire/ - UN. World Economic Situation and Prospects. 2017 Statistical Annex. New York, 2017. For more information, please see “Labor Law Enforcement: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
https://www.un.org/development/desa/dpad/wp-content/uploads/sites/45/publication/2017wesp_full_en.pdf - ILO Committee of Experts. Individual Direct Request concerning Labour Inspection Convention, 1947 (No. 81) Côte d'Ivoire (ratification: 1987) and Labour Inspection (Agriculture) Convention, 1969 (No. 129) Côte d'Ivoire (ratification: 1987). Published: 2017.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/normlex/en/f?p=1000:13100:0::NO:13100:P13100_COMMENT_ID:3298245 - U.S. Embassy Abidjan official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. March 25, 2019.
- Comité National de Surveillance des Actions de Lutte contre la Traite l’Exploitation et le travail des Enfants (CNS). Le Nouveau Cadre Institutionnel. Accessed January 23, 2017.
http://www.travaildesenfants.org/fr/content/le-nouveau-cadre-institutionnel# - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Création du Comité National de Surveillance des Actions de lutte contre la traite, l’exploitation et le travail des Enfants, Décret N° 2011-366. Enacted: November 3, 2011. Source on file.
- Yao, SP. Présentation du Plan d’Action National 2015–2017 de Lutte contre les Pires Formes de Travail des Enfants. Abidjan: Secrétaire Exécutif du Comité National de Surveillance (CNS). 2015. Source on file.
- Child Labor Cocoa Coordinating Group. 2016 Annual Report. Washington, DC, 2017. Source on file.
https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/legacy/files/CLCCG 2016 Annual Report.pdf - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Création du Comité Interministériel de lutte contre la traite, l’exploitation et le travail des Enfants, Décret N° 2011-365. Enacted: November 3, 2011.
http://www.travaildesenfants.org/sites/default/files/pdf/Dominique-Ouattara-Decret- de-creation-du- Comite- interministériel-de- lutte-contre-la-traite-l-exploitation-et-le-travail-des- enfants .pdf - Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Décret Fixant les Missions, la Composition, l'Organisation et le Fonctionnement du Comité National de Lutte Contre la Traite des Personnes. 2017. Source on file.
- Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Communiqué du Conseil des Ministres du Jeudi 13 Avril 2017. Abidjan. April 2017.
https://news.abidjan.net/articles/613248/communique-du-conseil-des-ministres-du-jeudi-13-avril-2017 - U.S. Embassy- Abidjan. Reporting. December 18, 2019.
- U.S. Embassy- Lome. Reporting. September 6, 2019.
- Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Plan d'Action National de Lutte Contre La Traite, l'Exploitation et le Travail des Enfants 2019–2021. Abidjan. May 19, 2019. Source on file.
- Senator Harkin, Congressman Engel, USDOL, Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Government of the Republic of Ghana, and International Cocoa and Chocolate Industry. Declaration of Joint Action to Support Implementation of the Harkin-Engel Protocol. Abidjan. September 13, 2010. Source on file.
- Senator Harkin, Congressman Engel, USDOL, Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, Government of the Republic of Ghana, and International Cocoa and Chocolate Industry. Framework of Action to Support Implementation of the Harkin-Engel Protocol. Abidjan. September 13, 2010. Source on file.
- Child Labor Coordinating Group. CLCCG Report: Ten Year 2010–2020 Efforts to Reduce Child Labor in Cocoa. 2021.
https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ILAB/reports/CLCCG-Ten-Year-Report.pdf - ILO-IPEC. Country Level Engagement and Assistance to Reduce (CLEAR) Child Labor. Geneva. October 2017: Technical Progress Report. Source on file.
- ILO. Programme de promotion du travail décent en Côte d’Ivoire 2017–2020. July 2017. Source on file.
- Government of the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire. Plan national de développement (PND) 2016–2020. 2016.
http://gcpnd.gouv.ci/fichier/doc/TOME3_compresse.pdf - Government of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. Plan Decennal Education Formation 2016 – 2025. Abidjan. February 29, 2016. Source on file.
- European Commission. EU multi-stakeholder dialogue for sustainable cocoa 2021.
https://ec.europa.eu/international-partnerships/events/eu-multi-stakeholder-dialogue-sustainable-cocoa_en - International Labor Organization. ACCEL AFRICA. November 2018
https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---africa/---ro-abidjan/documents/genericdocument/wcms_779516.pdf - World Cocoa Foundation. Cocoa & Forests Initiative Reports Progress Despite Challenging Year. Washington, DC. May 5, 2021.
https://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/press-release/cocoa-forests-initiative-reports-progress-despite-challenging-year/ - World Food Program. United States provides US$119 million to WFP for school meals in five countries. November 24, 2020.
https://www.wfp.org/news/united-states-provides-us119-million-wfp-school-meals-five-countries#:~:text=24 November 2020-,United States provides US$119 million to,school meals in five countries&text=WASHINGTON – As classrooms around the,countries in Asia and Africa - U.S. Department of Agriculture McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program Washington, DC
https://www.fas.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2021-10/McGovern-FY2020.pdf - Millennium Challenge Corporation. Côte d'Ivoire Compact. Washington, DC. 2022
https://www.mcc.gov/where-we-work/program/cote-divoire-compact - World Bank. Côte d'Ivoire - Second Fiscal Management, Education, Energy and Cocoa Reforms Development Policy Operation. November 6, 2017.
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/943511512702094794/pdf/Cote-dIvoire-DPO2-PD-Final-November-3-11102017.pdf - World Bank. Social Safety Net Implementation Status and Results Report. December 21, 2020.
http://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/811781608563835262/pdf/Disclosable-Version-of-the-ISR-CI-Productive-Social-Safety-Net-P143332-Sequence-No-11.pdf - The World Bank. Social Safety Net Project. November 19, 2021
https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/500291637342520066/pdf/Disclosable-Version-of-the-ISR-CI-Productive-Social-Safety-Net-P143332-Sequence-No-13.pdf - U.S. Department of Labor. Combating Forced Labor and Labor Trafficking of Adults Midterm Report. January 31, 2020.
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/combating-forced-labor-and-labor-trafficking-adults-and-children-ghana - U.S. Department of Labor. CACAO: Cooperatives Addressing Child Labor Accountability Outcomes. December 2020.
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/cacao-cooperatives-addressing-child-labor-accountability-outcomes - European Commission EU boosts sustainable cocoa production in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Cameroon January 2021
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/pt/ip_21_193
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