Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports
Iraq
Minimal Advancement – Efforts Made but Continued Practice that Delayed Advancement
In 2021, Iraq made minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs launched a campaign with the International Labor Organization to raise awareness about child labor among students, families, and employers in sectors in which child labor is present. However, despite new initiatives to address child labor, Iraq is assessed as having made only minimal advancement because it continued to implement a practice that delays advancement to eliminate child labor. During the reporting period, Iraqi and Kurdistan Regional Government authorities may have inappropriately detained or punished children allegedly affiliated with ISIS—some of whom were victims of forcible recruitment and use. Children in Iraq are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking, and in forced begging. The government did not provide information on its labor or criminal law enforcement efforts for inclusion in this report. It also continues to lack social programs that focus on assisting children involved in the worst forms of child labor.
Children in Iraq are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking, and in forced begging. (1-4) Household surveys, such as the 2018 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) administered in Iraq, are not designed to capture the labor performed by IDPs living in camps and, therefore, do not capture the children within this population who are involved in child labor. Table 1 provides key indicators on children’s work and education in Iraq. Data on some of these indicators are not available from the sources used in this report.
|
Children |
Related Entity |
Age |
Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Working (% and population) |
5 to 14 |
4.8 (Unavailable) |
|
|
Attending School (%) |
5 to 14 |
78.4 |
|
|
Combining Work and School (%) |
7 to 14 |
4.2 |
|
|
Primary Completion Rate (%) |
Unavailable |
Primary completion rate was unavailable from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2022. (5)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis of statistics from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 6 (MICS 6), 2018. (6)
Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.
|
Sector/Industry |
Related Entity |
Activity |
|---|---|---|
|
Agriculture |
Farming, including the production of dairy products (7,8) |
|
|
Fishing, activities unknown (7) |
||
|
Industry |
Construction† (9) |
|
|
Making bricks, including transporting bricks and working in kilns (3,7,10) |
||
|
Working in factories, producing glass, household cleaners, paint, steel, garments and textiles, perfume, electrical materials, and recycling plastic (3,10) |
||
|
Services |
Street work, including selling goods, pushing carts, cleaning cars, and begging (3,11-15) |
|
|
Working at gas stations† and auto repair and other shops (3) |
||
|
Working in landfills, scavenging and collecting garbage† and scrap metal (10,13,16) |
||
|
Domestic work (3) |
||
|
Working in hotels, restaurants, bars, nightclubs,† and brothels (3,11,12) |
||
|
Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡ |
Use in illicit activities, including cross-border smuggling and drug and weapons trafficking, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (3,4,7,11,12,17,18) |
|
|
Forced domestic work (3) |
||
|
Forced begging (2,4,7,19,20,21) |
||
|
Commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (1-4,7,19-21) |
† 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.
Throughout the country, some girls are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation through temporary marriages, including girls living in IDP camps. (17,23) Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF)-affiliated militias Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba (HHN) profit from and protect "marriage offices" operated by clerics who facilitate commercial sexual exploitation of children through temporary marriages. (2,17,20) Syrian girls from refugee camps in the Kurdistan region were sometimes forced into early or temporary marriages with Iraqi or other refugee men; some Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) authorities allegedly ignored —or accepted bribes to ignore— such cases, including those in which girls were sold multiple times. (17) Research found that women and girls in IDP camps whose family members have alleged ties to ISIS endure a complex system of sexual exploitation, sex trafficking, and abuse by armed actors residing in the camps, security and military officials, and camp personnel controlling access to humanitarian assistance and services. (19)
Children in Iraq face numerous barriers to education, including displacement, the lack of local schools, the use of schools as shelters by IDPs, costs of transportation and school supplies, and lack of sufficient educational facilities. (7,9,12) Sources report severe teacher shortages in Sinjar district as the result of teachers being displaced. (7) Insufficient access to transportation and destruction of schools during the conflict with ISIS also continue to limit access to education; according to UNICEF, over half of the schools in Iraq require repairs. (7) In addition, children of parents whose marriages were considered to be informal due to the woman being a minor, some displaced persons and refugees, and some children with suspected ties to ISIS lack identification documents required for school enrollment. (7,25,26) As of March 2021, 1.34 million people remained internally displaced with poor access to education, with 2.6 million children in need of humanitarian assistance. (27)
Displaced children and refugee children are especially vulnerable to educational barriers, including the cost of transportation and school supplies, lack of documentation, host community children being given priority for classroom seats, and vulnerability to COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures due to reduced access to mobile devices, the Internet, and parental support. (7) Secondary and higher education systems sometimes refuse to accept students who previously studied at schools that used the Latin rather than Arabic alphabet; many of these students drop out as a result. (7) Children with special needs had limited access to education due to a lack of specialized teachers and school infrastructure. (7) UNICEF reports that, while almost 92 percent of children enroll in primary schools, only half of children from economically disadvantaged families complete primary school and less than a quarter complete secondary education. (28)
Iraq has ratified all key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).
|
Convention |
Related Entity |
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 has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist in Iraq's and the KRG's legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the prohibition of child trafficking.
|
Standard |
Related Entity |
Meets International Standards |
Age |
Legislation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Minimum Age for Work |
Iraq |
Yes |
15 |
Article 7 of the 2015 Labor Law (29) |
|
Kurdistan Region |
Yes |
15 |
Article 90.1 of the 1987 Labor Law (30) |
|
|
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work |
Iraq |
Yes |
18 |
Article 95 of the 2015 Labor Law (29) |
|
Kurdistan Region |
Yes |
18 |
Articles 90.2 and 91.1 of the 1987 Labor Law (30) |
|
|
Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children |
Iraq |
Yes |
Articles 95 and 98 of the 2015 Labor Law; Ministry of Labor’s Instruction 19 of 1987 (29,31) |
|
|
Kurdistan Region |
Yes |
Article 91.2 of the 1987 Labor Law; Ministry of Labor’s Instruction 19 of 1987 (30,31) |
||
|
Prohibition of Forced Labor |
Iraq |
Yes |
Articles 9 and 11.2 of the 2015 Labor Law (29) |
|
|
Kurdistan Region |
Yes |
Articles 91.3(a), 91.4, and 97 of the 1987 Labor Law; Articles 1 and 6 of the Law to Combat Human Trafficking (30,32) |
||
|
Prohibition of Child Trafficking |
Iraq |
No |
Articles 1 and 6 of the Law to Combat Human Trafficking (32) |
|
|
Kurdistan Region |
No |
Articles 91.3(a), 91.4, and 97 of the 1987 Labor Law; Articles 1 and 6 of the Law to Combat Human Trafficking (30,32) |
||
|
Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children |
Iraq |
No |
Articles 399 and 403 of the Penal Code (33) |
|
|
Kurdistan Region |
Yes |
Articles 91.3(b), 91.4, and 97 of the 1987 Labor Law (30) |
||
|
Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities |
Iraq |
No |
||
|
Kurdistan Region |
Yes |
Articles 91.3(c), 91.4, and 97 of the 1987 Labor Law (30) |
||
|
Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment |
Iraq and Kurdistan Region |
Yes |
18 |
Section 6(2) of the CPA Order 22 (34) |
|
Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military |
Iraq and Kurdistan Region |
N/A* |
||
|
Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups |
Iraq and Kurdistan Region |
No |
||
|
Compulsory Education Age |
Iraq |
No |
12‡ |
Articles 8.1.1 and 11.1 of the Education Law; Article 1.3 of the Law on Compulsory Education (35,36) |
|
Kurdistan Region |
Yes |
15 |
Articles 6 and 10 of the Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Education Law (37) |
|
|
Free Public Education |
Iraq |
Yes |
Article 34.2 of the Constitution; Article 9 of the Education Law (35,38) |
|
|
Kurdistan Region |
Yes |
Article 10 of the Kurdistan Regional Government Ministry of Education Law (37) |
* Country has no conscription (34)
‡ Age calculated based on available information (35,36)
Article 117 of the Constitution of Iraq recognizes Kurdistan, which comprises the provinces of Dohuk, Erbil, Sulaimaniya, and Halabja, as a federal region. (38-41) Article 121 grants the Kurdistan Region the right to exercise legislative, executive, and judicial powers. (38) The Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament must endorse any laws that the Government of Iraq passed after 1991 for such laws to enter into force in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. (39-41)
In Iraq, Article 1 of the Law to Combat Human Trafficking requires force, fraud, or coercion to be present as an element to constitute the crime of child sex trafficking, which is inconsistent with international standards, including Article 3 of the Palermo Protocol. (32) The Iraqi Kurdistan Parliament endorsed the Iraqi Law to Combat Human Trafficking, which means the operative human trafficking standard in the Kurdistan Region is also not in compliance with international standards. (42)
Iraq's laws do not prohibit the use of children in prostitution and do not clearly prohibit the use, procuring, and offering of children for the production of pornography or pornographic performances. (33) Moreover, under the Iraqi Education Law and under the Law on Compulsory Education, children are required to attend primary school for only 6 years, which is typically up to age 12. (35,36) This leaves children ages 12 to 15 particularly vulnerable to child labor, because they are not required to be in school, yet they are not legally permitted to work.
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 their child labor laws.
|
Organization/Agency |
Related Entity |
Role |
|---|---|---|
|
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) |
Iraq |
Enforces child labor laws and regulations through its Child Labor Unit. (12) Conducts research on child labor through its Childhood Welfare Authority. Receives complaints of child labor cases. (12) |
|
Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (KMOLSA) |
Kurdistan Region |
Enforces child labor laws and regulations in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Police units of the KRG's Ministry of Interior (KMOI) play a supporting role in the daily activities of KMOLSA. (12) |
|
Ministry of Interior (MOI) |
Iraq |
Enforces criminal laws on the worst forms of child labor. Collaborates with MOLSA, the Iraqi Industries Federation, and the Confederation of Trade Unions to conduct inspection campaigns. (12) Maintains a hotline for victims of human trafficking, with calls routed directly to the Ministry’s Anti-Trafficking Directorate. (12) |
|
Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Interior (KMOI) |
Kurdistan Region |
Investigates cases of commercial sexual exploitation and human trafficking. (12) Includes a Counter Trafficking Directorate within KMOI. (42) |
Labor Law Enforcement
In 2021, labor law enforcement agencies in Iraq took actions to address child labor (Table 6). However, gaps exist within the operations of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) and the KRG's Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (KMOLSA) that may hinder adequate labor law enforcement, including an insufficient number of labor inspectors.
|
Overview of Labor Law Enforcement |
Related Entity |
2020 |
2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Labor Inspectorate Funding |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Number of Labor Inspectors |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Mechanism to Assess Civil Penalties |
Yes (29) |
Yes (29) |
|
|
Initial Training for New Labor Inspectors |
No (7) |
Yes (3) |
|
|
Training on New Laws Related to Child Labor |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Refresher Courses Provided |
No (7) |
Yes (3) |
|
|
Number of Labor Inspections Conducted |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Number Conducted at Worksite |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Number of Child Labor Violations Found |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Number of Child Labor Violations for Which Penalties Were Imposed |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Number of Child Labor Penalties Imposed that Were Collected |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Routine Inspections Conducted |
Yes (7) |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Routine Inspections Targeted |
Yes (7) |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Unannounced Inspections Permitted |
Yes (29) |
Yes (29) |
|
|
Unannounced Inspections Conducted |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Complaint Mechanism Exists |
Yes (7) |
Yes (3) |
|
|
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Labor Authorities and Social Services |
Yes (7) |
Yes (3) |
In August 2021, the director of MOLSA’s Child Labor Unit publicly reported that the Ministry carried out 20 inspection visits per month on average in its efforts to expose and enforce child labor violations, and its teams recorded 70 child labor violations in the first half of 2021. (3) All 70 cases resulted in a fine, temporary shutdown, or full shutdown of the workplace. (43) However, MOLSA officials stated that enforcement of child labor laws remains weak and ineffective. (3)
Sources indicate that, during the reporting period, KMOLSA and the KRG's Ministry of Interior (KMOI) were responsive to complaints of child labor in the Kurdistan region but would only conduct child labor inspections in response to a complaint. (3)
Although the number of labor inspectors is unknown, research indicates that the number of labor inspectors is likely insufficient for the size of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region's workforce, which includes over 10.7 million workers. According to the ILO’s technical advice of a ratio approaching 1 inspector for every 15,000 workers in developing economies, Iraq and the KRG would need to employ roughly 715 labor inspectors. (3,44)
When inspectors identify child labor violations, they can issue warnings and instructions, or refer cases to court. (45) KMOLSA indicated that funding is insufficient to carry out its duties. (7)
The government did not provide information on its labor law enforcement efforts for inclusion in this report.
Criminal Law Enforcement
In 2021, criminal law enforcement agencies in Iraq took actions to address child labor (Table 7). However, gaps exist within the operations of the criminal enforcement agencies that may hinder adequate criminal law enforcement, including prosecution planning.
|
Overview of Criminal Law Enforcement |
Related Entity |
2020 |
2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Initial Training for New Criminal Investigators |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Training on New Laws Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor |
N/A |
N/A |
|
|
Refresher Courses Provided |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Number of Investigations |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Number of Violations Found |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Number of Prosecutions Initiated |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Number of Convictions |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Imposed Penalties for Violations Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor |
Unknown |
Unknown (3) |
|
|
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Criminal Authorities and Social Services |
Yes (7) |
Yes (3) |
In 2021, authorities may have inappropriately detained or punished children allegedly affiliated with ISIS—some of whom were victims of forcible recruitment and use by armed groups. (17, 24,46-49)
Although the Ministry of Interior (MOI) reported that it investigated 12 police officers for involvement in sex trafficking, research indicates that security and camp management personnel in IDP camps continue to be complicit in the sexual exploitation and trafficking of girls. (3,4) The government did not investigate or hold anyone criminally accountable for allegations of unlawful recruitment and use of child soldiers. (17,21) Some victims of human trafficking, including children who were forcibly recruited and used, are punished for unlawful acts their traffickers compelled them to commit. (17,41,55) Research indicates that children are sentenced to up to 8 years in prison for prostitution, rather than being treated as victims of trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation of children. (43) In addition, an NGO reported that police occasionally detained children engaged in street begging and kept them in custody before releasing them; police did not screen these children as possible victims of human trafficking or refer them to appropriate protection services. (11,17)
The government did not provide information on its criminal law enforcement efforts for inclusion in this report.
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 lack of coordination among agencies to effectively process cases of children suspected of having ties with ISIS or children who are victims of human trafficking.
|
Coordinating Body |
Related Entity |
Role & Description |
|---|---|---|
|
IntermMinisterial Committee on Child Labor |
Iraq |
Coordinates overall government efforts to address child labor, researches policies regarding child labor, and designs and manages projects. Members include representatives from MOLSA and four other ministries. (11) Active in 2021. (3) |
|
Central Committee to Combat Trafficking in Persons (CCCT) |
Iraq |
Oversees the implementation of the Law to Combat Human Trafficking and serves as the national coordinating body on human trafficking. Led by MOI, and includes representatives from five ministries, KMOI, and two other state entities. (11,50) Active in 2021. (4) |
|
Interministerial Committee on Trafficking in Persons |
Kurdistan Region |
Makes recommendations on implementing the KRG's Anti-Trafficking in Persons Law. Headed by the Director General of the Divan at the Ministry of Interior, it also includes 17 members from several ministries and services. (20) The Interministerial Committee on Trafficking in Persons met at least once in 2021. (43) |
|
KRG Council of Ministers |
Kurdistan Region |
Coordinates KMOI and KMOLSA actions on child labor in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region through the KRG Council of Ministers. (11) Research was unable to determine whether the KRG Council of Ministers was active during the reporting period. |
|
KRG High Committee on Human Trafficking |
Kurdistan Region |
Led by KMOI and includes representatives of KMOLSA and 17 government ministries. (4,11) Specific activities are unknown. (51) Research was unable to determine whether the KRG High Committee on Human Trafficking was active during the reporting period. |
The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 9). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including covering all worst forms of child labor.
|
Policy |
Related Entity |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Child Protection Policy (2017–2022) |
Iraq |
Outlines a comprehensive approach to addressing child protection, including addressing child labor through prevention, protection, and rehabilitation programs, such as a poverty alleviation initiative and educational and mental health services. Includes a component to provide rehabilitation and reintegration activities for children previously engaged in armed conflict and children who experienced trauma during the period of ISIS occupation. (12,52) The policy does not specifically cover other worst forms of child labor present in Iraq, including forced begging and commercial sexual exploitation. (52) Research was unable to determine whether activities were undertaken to implement this policy during the reporting period. |
|
National Plan on Combating Human Trafficking in Iraq |
Iraq |
Aims to address human trafficking by outlining steps to be taken by authorities represented on the CCCT. Focuses on prevention, protection, prosecution, and regional and international cooperation and includes considerations for child victims. (53) Active in 2021. (21) |
Research was unable to identify any child labor policies in the Kurdistan Region. (3)
In 2021, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating child labor (Table 10). However, gaps exist in these social programs, including the inadequacy of programs to address the full scope of the problem.
|
Program |
Related Entity |
Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Informal Education† |
Iraq |
Government-supported informal education systems, including evening school programs and accelerated education that encourages children ages 12 to 18 who have dropped out of school to continue their education. (12) Research was unable to determine what steps were undertaken in 2021 to implement this program. |
|
Conditional Subsidies Program† |
Iraq |
Provides assistance to low-income families for children to stay in school and out of the workforce. In 2021, MOLSA continued to provide cash assistance to low-income families to send their children to school. (3) |
|
Shelters for Human Trafficking Victims† |
Iraq |
MOLSA-operated shelter in Baghdad for human trafficking victims, including children involved in the worst forms of child labor; other facilities are in Basra Kirkuk, and Ninewa provinces. (12) Officials have indicated that poor coordination and policies that dissuade victims from seeking help accounted for a low number of victims receiving services through shelters. (20) In addition, shelters are reportedly unable to house child survivors, sending them to MOLSA orphanages instead, due to a lack of funding and suitable accommodations. (21,43) |
† Program is funded by the Government of Iraq.
In 2021, MOLSA launched a campaign with the ILO to raise awareness about child labor among students, families, and employers of sectors in which child labor is present. (54) The campaign hopes to reach 10,000 children, families, teachers, and others and is conducted in schools. The campaign will also include awareness-raising activities, such as television and radio programs. (54)
Efforts by the Government of Iraq and the KRG to provide protection services to demobilized child soldiers of ISIS or the PMF are insufficient. Failing to reintegrate former child soldiers leaves them vulnerable to re-victimization or re-recruitment into armed groups. (17) Likewise, research was unable to find evidence of specific active programs to support children subjected to commercial sexual exploitation or other worst forms of child labor, including child soldiering. Existing programs do not sufficiently address the lack of access to education in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in Iraq (Table 11).
|
Area |
Suggested Action |
Year(s) Suggested |
|---|---|---|
|
Legal Framework |
Ensure that the laws comprehensively prohibit child trafficking in all parts of Iraq, including the Kurdistan Region, and do not require force or coercion for their application, in accordance with international standards. |
2015 – 2021 |
|
Ensure that the law criminally prohibits the use of a child in prostitution and the use, procuring, and offering of a child for the production of pornography and pornographic performances. |
2019 – 2021 |
|
|
Ensure that the law in Iraq criminally prohibits the use of children in illicit activities, including in the production and trafficking of drugs. |
2015 – 2021 |
|
|
Ensure that the law criminally prohibits the recruitment of children under age 18 by non-state armed groups. |
2013 – 2021 |
|
|
Increase the age of compulsory schooling in Iraq to at least age 15, the minimum age for work. |
2009 – 2021 |
|
|
Enforcement |
Publish labor law enforcement information, such as the funding of the labor inspectorate, number of inspectors, inspections, and violations. |
2011 – 2021 |
|
Increase the number of labor inspectors to meet the ILO's technical advice and ensure adequate funding to enforce legal protections against child labor, including its worst forms. |
2011 – 2021 |
|
|
Ensure children picked up by authorities for begging are screened for trafficking indicators. |
2021 |
|
|
Ensure that children who are victims of trafficking or commercial sexual exploitation are not imprisoned and are granted access to social services providers and humanitarian assistance. |
2021 |
|
|
Ensure that labor inspectors and criminal investigators receive training, including refresher courses, on child labor and that they have sufficient resources to carry out their duties. |
2016 – 2021 |
|
|
Publish information on criminal law enforcement on the worst forms of child labor in Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. |
2013 – 2021 |
|
|
Ensure that children are not arrested, detained, tortured, or denied services on the basis of their or their family members' perceived ties to ISIS. |
2015 – 2021 |
|
|
Ensure that armed groups that recruit and use children are held criminally accountable. |
2016 – 2021 |
|
|
Ensure that allegations of sexual exploitation and trafficking of girls in IDP camps by government officials are investigated and those responsible are held criminally liable. |
2019 – 2021 |
|
|
Coordination |
Ensure that all coordinating bodies meet and are able to carry out their intended mandates. |
2017 – 2021 |
|
Government Policies |
Implement the Child Protection Policy in Iraq and adopt a child labor policy in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region for other worst forms of child labor present in Iraq, including forced begging and commercial sexual exploitation. |
2018 – 2021 |
|
Social Programs |
Implement programs to ensure that children are discouraged from enlisting in armed groups and receiving military training. |
2015 – 2021 |
|
Ensure that universal access to education is consistent with international standards, including for refugee and internally displaced children and children with special needs, and that programs address barriers to education, including the lack of teachers, the destruction and lack of local schools, costs of transportation and school supplies, lack of infrastructure, especially during school closures. Ensure that the lack of identification documents does not hinder access to education, including for IDPs and refugees, children with suspected ties to ISIS, and children of “informal” marriages. |
2013 – 2021 |
|
|
Implement programs to address child labor in relevant sectors in Iraq, such as the provision of services to children in commercial sexual exploitation, to demobilize and reintegrate children engaged in armed groups, and to provide informal education programs and shelters for human trafficking survivors. |
2009 – 2021 |
- Pasha-Robinson, Lucy. 'I was raped everyday': Yazidi girl speaks of horrors of being held as ISIS sex slave. Independent. July 24, 2017.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-sex-slave-yazidi-girl-northern-iraq-rape-sexual-abuse-experiences-a7857246.html - U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. April 3, 2021.
- U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. February 3, 2022.
- U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2021: Iraq. Washington, D.C., July 1, 2021.
https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-trafficking-in-persons-report/iraq/ - UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Gross intake ratio to the last grade of primary education, both sexes (%). Accessed March 2022. 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/ - ILO. Analysis of Child Economic Activity and School Attendance Statistics from National Household or Child Labor Surveys. Original data from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 6 (MICS 6), 2018. Analysis received March 2022. Please see “Children’s Work and Education Statistics: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
- U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. January 5, 2021.
- U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. May 24, 2021.
- U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. January 17, 2018.
- Ben Hamad, Fatma. 'Some die at work': The appalling conditions of Iraq's child labourers. July 29, 2021.
https://observers.france24.com/en/iraq-child-labour-brick-factory - U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. February 18, 2020.
- U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. January 9, 2019.
- Baghdad Post. As corruption goes rampant, Iraq children eat from garbage. July 31, 2017. Source on file.
- Hartleib, Elisabeth. Child Labor in Iraq. Deutsche Welle, June 12, 2017.
http://www.dw.com/en/child-labor-in-iraq/av-39210131 - Menmy, Dana Taib. Coronavirus: Iraq's 'Covid-19 generation' faces forced labour, lack of school. August 22, 2020.
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/coronavirus-iraq-covid-19-generation-forced-labour-education-school - Westcott, Tom. Donors talk big on Iraq reconstruction, but Mosul residents go it alone. The New Humanitarian (formerly IRIN News), February 15, 2018.
https://www.irinnews.org/feature/2018/02/15/donors-talk-big-iraq-reconstruction-mosul-residents-go-it-alone - U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2020: Iraq. Washington, D.C., June 16, 2020.
https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-trafficking-in-persons-report/iraq/ - Radio Farda. Many Children Working As Porters Die On Iran-Iraq Border. December 22, 2019.
https://en.radiofarda.com/a/children-working-as-porters-killed-by-guards-on-iran-iraq-border/30338407.html - U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2019: Iraq. Washington, D.C., June 20, 2019.
https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-trafficking-in-persons-report-2/iraq/ - U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. March 30, 2020.
- U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. March 24, 2022.
- The New Arab. The Iraq Report: Children bought and sold in ‘sex markets’ by Baghdad Mafia. August 16, 2017.
https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/indepth/2017/8/16/the-iraq-report-child-trafficking-by-baghdad-mafia-exposed - Hassan, Sanar. When one of the women refuses, she is threatened... Displaced women in Iraqi camps are victims of sexual and political exploitation. July 2, 2020.
https://raseef22.net/article/1079076 - United Nations Security Council. Annual Report of the Secretary-General on Children and armed conflict. June 21, 2021: S/2021/437.
https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/document/annual-report-of-the-secretary-general-on-children-and-armed-conflict-2/ - Amnesty International. The Condemned: Women and Children Isolated, Trapped, and Exploited in Iraq. April 2018: MDE14/8196/2018.
https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/MDE1481962018ENGLISH.PDF - International Crisis Group. Exiles in Their Own Country: Dealing with Displacement in Post-ISIS Iraq. October 19, 2020.
https://d2071andvip0wj.cloudfront.net/b079-post-isis-iraq_0.pdf - UNICEF. Iraq Humanitarian Situation Report, January-March 2021. April 2021.
https://www.unicef.org/documents/iraq-humanitarian-situation-report-january-march-2021 - UNICEF. Deep inequality continues to shape the lives of children in Iraq. November 19, 2018.
https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/deep-inequality-continues-shape-lives-children-iraq - Government of Iraq. Labor Law No. 37 of 2015. Enacted: October 15, 2015.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=en&p_isn=96652&p_country=IRQ - Government of Iraq. Labor Code, Law No. 71 of 1987, as amended by Coalition Provisional Authority Order 89 of May 30, 2004.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/travail/docs/751/Coalition Provisional Authority Order No.89.pdf - Government of Iraq. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs' Instructions No. 19 of 1987 on Works Prohibited for Children. Enacted: November 9, 1987. Source on file.
- Government of Iraq. Law to Combat Human Trafficking, No. 28 of 2012. Enacted: April 4, 2012.
https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.detail?p_lang=en&p_isn=94253&p_country=IRQ&p_count=232&p_classification=04&p_classcount=6 - Government of Iraq. Penal Code, Law No. 111 of 1969. Enacted: July 19, 1969.
http://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/docs/ELECTRONIC/57206/110681/F-1289690696/IRQ57206.pdf - Government of Iraq. Coalition Provisional Authority Order 22 on the Creation of A New Iraqi Army. Enacted: August 6, 2003.
http://www.refworld.org/docid/468d0ae62.html - Government of Iraq. Law No. 22 of the Ministry of Education. Enacted: September 13, 2011. Source on file.
- Government of Iraq. Compulsory Education Law No. 118 of 1976. Enacted: 1976.
http://www.iraq-lg-law.org/ar/webfm_send/233 - Kurdistan Regional Government. Law No 27 of 2007, Third Amendment to the Law of the Ministry of Education No. Act, 1992. Enacted: December 10, 2007.
http://www.presidency.krd/docs/EducationMInistryAmendemnt3-34-2007-ar.pdf - Government of Iraq. Constitution of Iraq. Enacted: 2005.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/12/AR2005101201450.html. - U.S. Embassy- Baghdad official. E-mail communication to USDOL official. May 4, 2018.
- Kurdistan Regional Government. The Kurdistan Region in Brief. (n.d.) Source on file.
- U.S. Consulate- Erbil and U.S. Embassy- Baghdad officials. E-mail communication to USDOL official. July 10, 2019.
- U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. February 13, 2019.
- U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Official communication to USDOL official. June 30, 2022.
- ILO modelled estimates and projections (ILOEST) – Population and labour force. Accessed February 16, 2022. https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/ Labor force data is modelled on a combination of demographic and economic explanatory variables by the ILO. Please see “Labor Law Enforcement: Sources and Definitions” in the Reference Materials section of this report.
- U.S. Consulate- Erbil. Reporting. January 13, 2019.
- United Nations Security Council. Report of the Secretary-General on Children and Armed Conflict in Iraq. December 23, 2019: S/2019/984.
https://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/2019/984&Lang=E&Area=UNDOC - Human Rights Watch. Everyone Must Confess: Abuses against Children Suspected of ISIS Affiliation in Iraq. March 6, 2019.
https://www.hrw.org/report/2019/03/06/everyone-must-confess/abuses-against-children-suspected-isis-affiliation-iraq - UN. Reporting. 2022.
- UN General Assembly. Children and Armed Conflict: Report of the Secretary-General. July 11, 2022: A/76/871–S/2022/493.
https://undocs.org/en/S/2022/493 - U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. January 13, 2017.
- U.S. Embassy- Baghdad. Reporting. February 12, 2018.
- Government of Iraq. Child Protection Policy. Enacted: 2017. Source on file.
- Government of Iraq. National Plan on Combating Human Trafficking in Iraq. March 2019. Source on file.
- ILO. Iraq launches activities to combat child labour as part of nationwide campaign. December 19, 2021.
https://www.ilo.org/beirut/media-centre/news/WCMS_832439/lang--en/index.htm?fbclid=IwAR3U8e5hkjvOs0kb_x6MrGpFDMxnLPUDhwYy20Fy-qlwTKnknLjpDZo_fv4 - U.S. Department of State. Trafficking in Persons Report- 2022: Iraq. Washington, D.C., July 1, 2022.
https://www.state.gov/reports/2022-trafficking-in-persons-report/iraq/
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