Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - Somalia

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Somalia

2019 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

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Minimal Advancement – Efforts Made but Continued Practices that Delayed Advancement

In 2019, Somalia made a minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs unveiled an expansive social protection policy and finalized a National Employment Policy, while a newly established tripartite labor committee also drafted an action plan to eradicate child labor. Additionally, the Ministry of Defense committed to a UN Roadmap to end and prevent grave violations against children, including recruitment and use in combat. However, despite new initiatives to address child labor, Somalia is receiving an assessment of minimal advancement because it continued a practice that delayed advancement in eliminating the worst forms of child labor. The Somali National Army continued to recruit and use children in armed conflict, in violation of its national law, during the reporting period. Somalia is also receiving this assessment because it lacks a labor inspectorate, and as such conducted no worksite labor inspections. Children engage in the worst forms of child labor, including in armed conflict. Children also perform dangerous tasks in street work. Somali laws do not criminally prohibit child trafficking for labor, commercial sexual exploitation, or the recruitment of children by non-state armed groups.

Children in Somalia engage in the worst forms of child labor, including in armed conflict. (1) Children also perform dangerous tasks in street work. (2) Table 1 provides key indicators on children's work and education in Somalia. Data on some of these indicators are not available from the sources used in this report. (3) However, in 2019 the ILO funded the completion of Somalia's first labor force survey in 2019, which included sectoral information on child labor and IDPs. (3-6)

**Table 1. Statistics on Children’s Work and Education**
Children	Related Entity	Age	Percent
Working (%)	Somalia (North East zone)	5 to 14	9.5
	Somalia (Somaliland)	5 to 14	13.2
Attending School (%)	Somalia (North East zone)	5 to 14	38.3
	Somalia (Somaliland)	5 to 14	44.2
Combining Work and School (%)	Somalia (North East zone)	7 to 14	4.7
	Somalia (Somaliland)	7 to 14	6.6
Primary Completion Rate (%)	All (Somalia)		Unavailable

Primary completion rate was unavailable from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2020. (7)
Source for all other data: International Labor Organization's analysis from Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 4, 2011. (8)

Based on a review of available information, Table 2 provides an overview of children's work by sector and activity.

**Table 2. Overview of Children's Work by Sector and Activity**
Sector/Industry	Activity
Agriculture	Farming, including arranging harvested seeds and light cleaning (3,4-9)
	Herding livestock, including goats, sheep, and camels (3,4)
	Fishing, including cleaning fish (3,11)
Industry	Construction, including crushing stones, mining, and excavating (1,3,10,11)
	Mining and quarrying (11)
	Producing garments and textiles (12)
Services	Working as maids or domestic staff in hotels and private residences (4,9)
	Domestic work (2,4,13)
	Street work, including shining shoes, washing cars, driving minibuses, vending, and transporting khat (a legal, amphetamine-like stimulant) (2,4-9,12,13)
	Voluntarily recruited children used in hostilities by state armed groups (1,4,9)
Categorical Worst Forms of Child Labor‡	Recruitment of children by non-state armed groups for use in armed conflict and supporting roles, including as cooks, porters, and informants, or to operate checkpoints (1,4,9,10)
	Forced labor in domestic work, agriculture, herding livestock, breaking rocks, selling or transporting khat, begging, and construction work, each sometimes as a result of human trafficking (1,4,12)
	Commercial sexual exploitation, sometimes as a result of human trafficking (1)

‡ Child labor understood as the worst forms of child labor per se under Article 3(a)–(c) of ILO C. 182.

As Somalia approaches its fourth decade of civil war, the country's IDPs are estimated at 2.6 million, with unofficial estimates approaching 3.6 million. (4,14) IDPs, including children, are vulnerable to human trafficking for sexual and labor exploitation. Members of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab infiltrate madrassas and mosques, using deception or coercion tactics to forcibly recruit victims, including children, into sexual slavery and combat and support roles. (1) Some children fleeing Al-Shabaab seek shelter in Kenya, where they are subsequently revictimized for labor and commercial sexual exploitation. (1) Some are transited through Nairobi's Eastleigh neighborhood, a known trafficking hub, en route to Somalia. (15) Research also found that children in Somalia are trafficked to Saudi Arabia and Djibouti and forced to beg on the streets. (1) Children from minority clan households are uniquely vulnerable to forced recruitment by military groups, including at school. (16)

In 2019, Somalia also recorded the highest number of child abductions by non-state actors in the world. (17) State and non-state armed groups recruited 1,495 children during the reporting period, down from 2,300 in 2018. (17,18) The majority of these violations were attributed to Al-Shabaab, which forcibly recruited children as young as age 8 for combat. (17-19) The group continued the practice of forcing communities to "volunteer" children to join its ranks in the Galgadud and Middle Shabelle regions. (1,18,20,21) Al-Shabaab recruited children or "taxed" families to provide male children to serve as child soldiers. (4,22) These children planted explosive devices, acted as human shields, conducted assassinations and suicide attacks, gathered intelligence, and provided domestic services. Some girls were also forced into sexual servitude. (1,4,22) Moreover, research found that the Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama'a militia, which to date has not yet integrated into the Somali National Army (SNA), recruited at least 14 children during the reporting period. Additionally, Somalia's numerous clan militias reportedly recruited children for use in armed conflict. (1,9,20)

The reporting period also saw an increase in grave violations against children linked to government forces, including recruitment and use, killing and maiming, and sexual violence. (17-19,23) Perpetrators included the SNA, the Somali Police Force, and the National Intelligence and Security Agency. Officials also verified child recruitment by Galmudug, Jubaland, and Puntland forces. (18,20) The trend coincided with an escalation in military operations against Al-Shabaab. (17-19,23) Child recruitment is in violation of General Order No. 1, which prohibits military personnel from recruiting and employing child soldiers. (1,20,24)

Protracted violence has reduced access to all basic services, including public education. Seventy-six attacks on schools and hospitals were documented between January and September 2019; the majority (60) were attributed to Al-Shabaab. (17-20,23) State and non-state forces also occupied and damaged schools during the reporting period, further limiting access educational facilities. (18,20,25,26) The limited number of public schools outside of Mogadishu, and high fees charged by private schools, also undercut enrollment rates. (4,16) In 2019, 3 million school-aged children, including 65 percent of girls and 59 percent of boys, did not attend school. (27) The primary enrollment rate for nomadic or pastoralist children was 3.1 percent. (4) Children and youth among these groups are considered at high risk of exploitation or recruitment into armed groups like Al-Shabaab. (4,16)

The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) has not conducted a standalone survey of child work, child labor, or the worst forms of child labor. Somalia also lacks a country-wide birth registration system, further complicating efforts to identify victims of child labor. (4)

The FGS maintains limited territorial control outside the capital. Al-Shabaab occupied rural areas in south-central Somalia. (4) In other parts of the country, essential governance functions were provided by regional administrations, including the self-declared independent region of Somaliland in the northwest and the federal member state of Puntland in the northeast. (4,28)

Somalia has ratified some key international conventions concerning child labor (Table 3).

**Table 3. Ratification of International Conventions on Child Labor**
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

For the first time, the FGS fulfilled the reporting requirements mandated under ILO Convention 182 in 2019. (3,8) The government also submitted letters of intent to the ILO to accede to the Minimum Age Convention and Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict. (8)

The government has established laws and regulations related to child labor (Table 4). However, gaps exist in Somalia's legal framework to adequately protect children from the worst forms of child labor, including the lack of a prohibition of recruitment of children under age 18 by non-state armed groups.

**Table 4. Laws and Regulations on Child Labor**
Standard	Meets International Standards	Age	Legislation
Minimum Age for Work	Yes	15	Article 93 of the Labor Code; Article 38(1) of the Private Sector Employees Law (29,30)
Minimum Age for Hazardous Work	Yes	18	Article 90 of the Labor Code; Article 38(2) of the Private Sector Employees Law; Article 29 of the Provisional Constitution (29-31)
Identification of Hazardous Occupations or Activities Prohibited for Children	No		Articles 90 and 94 of the Labor Code; Articles 10 and 38(4) of the Private Sector Employees Law (29,30)
Prohibition of Forced Labor	Yes		Articles 455 and 464 of the Penal Code (32)
Prohibition of Child Trafficking	No
Prohibition of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children	No		Articles 403–404 and 407–408 of the Penal Code (32)
Prohibition of Using Children in Illicit Activities	No
Minimum Age for Voluntary State Military Recruitment	Yes	18	General Order No. 1 (24)
Prohibition of Compulsory Recruitment of Children by (State) Military	Yes		General Order No. 1 (24)
Prohibition of Military Recruitment by Non-state Armed Groups	No
Compulsory Education Age	No	14‡	Articles 13 and 15 of the General Education Law (33)
Free Public Education	Yes		Article 14 of the General Education Law (33)

‡ Age calculated based on available information (33)

During the reporting period, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) finalized a National Labor Code mandating safe and legal work environments for minors. (4,5) As of March 2020, the law was pending ratification in the upper house of Parliament. (6) The Ministry of Women and Human Rights also drafted the Child Rights Bill, which will domesticate into law the Convention on the Rights of the Child. (6,20) The law will protect all children under age 18 from prosecution as an adult and will codify a compulsory education age. (6) Currently, however, the gap between the end of compulsory education and the minimum age for work leaves children age 14 vulnerable to child labor because they are not required to attend school but may not legally work. (13,33)

It is unclear whether laws issued prior to 1991 are still in effect in Somalia. However, in 2014, Parliament issued a public statement citing some pre-1991 laws, which suggests that the FGS continued to recognize relevant historic laws. (6) Although the Provisional Constitution of 2012 does not provide a minimum age for employment, the pre-1991 Labor Code establishes age 15 as the minimum age for work. (29) Moreover, although the Labor Code establishes age 12 as the minimum age for light work and describes the conditions under which it may be undertaken, it neither determines the activities in which light work may be permitted nor prescribes the number of hours per week for light work. Furthermore, there is no legislation that comprehensively prohibits hazardous occupations and activities for children. (29) While the labor code enables the publication of a hazardous works list, MOLSA has the government has not determined by regulation the types of hazardous work prohibited for children. (4)

Laws related to the commercial sexual exploitation of children are not sufficient, because using, procuring, and offering a child for prostitution, pornography, and pornographic performances are not criminally prohibited. Furthermore, it appears that under Article 405 of the Criminal Code, children involved in prostitution would not be protected from criminal charges. (32) The Penal Code requires extensive updating. Many fines in the Code equal less than $1, which does not serve as an effective deterrent. (32,34)

Both Somaliland and Puntland, which are semiautonomous regions, maintain separate legal systems. (35) Somaliland has criminalized trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation, and a draft human trafficking law remains under review. (36,37) Although Puntland State's 2017 penal and criminal procedure codes reportedly meet international standards, research could not find a publicly available version of these laws. (36)

Somalia lacks a functioning labor inspectorate for the enforcement of labor laws and regulations (Table 5).

**Table 5. Agencies Responsible for Child Labor Law Enforcement**
Organization/Agency	Role
Somali National Police	Investigates and enforces laws related to the worst forms of child labor. (38) The Counter-Trafficking and Organized Crime Unit has six officers. (39)
Ministry of Defense	Operates separately from civilian law enforcement bodies, and leads efforts to combat the use of child recruitment and abduction by Al-Shabaab. (4) Through its Child Protection Unit (CPU), screens Somali National Army (SNA) units for child soldiers. (9,4) Raises awareness of child soldier issues, and implements standard operating procedures on protecting children associated with armed conflict. (11,40,41)
Puntland Security Forces	Investigate and enforce human trafficking laws. (42)
Puntland Ministry of Justice	Prosecutes human trafficking cases. (42)
Somaliland Police	Investigates human trafficking. (43)
Somaliland's Attorney General's Office	Prosecutes human trafficking cases. (43)

Labor Law Enforcement

In 2019, the lack of a labor inspectorate in Somalia may have impeded the enforcement of child labor laws. (4)

Criminal Law Enforcement

Research did not find information on whether criminal law enforcement agencies in Somalia took actions to combat child labor (Table 6).

**Table 6. Criminal Law Enforcement Efforts Related to Child Labor**
Overview of Criminal Law Enforcement	Related Entity	2018	2019
Initial Training for New Criminal Investigators	All (Somalia)	No (9)	No (4)
Training on New Laws Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor	All (Somalia)	0 (9)	0 (4)
Refresher Courses Provided	All (Somalia)	0 (9)	0 (4)
Number of Investigations	All (Somalia)	0 (13)	0 (4)
Number of Violations Found	All (Somalia)	0 (9)	1,331 (4,44)
Number of Prosecutions Initiated	All (Somalia)	0 (9)	0 (4)
Number of Convictions	All (Somalia)	0 (9)	0 (4)
Imposed Penalties for Violations Related to the Worst Forms of Child Labor	All (Somalia)	No (9)	No (4)
Reciprocal Referral Mechanism Exists Between Criminal Authorities and Social Services		No (9)	No (4)

The Somali National Police remained understaffed and undertrained, and lacked the capacity to investigate or enforce laws on the worst forms of child labor. (4) Research also found that child labor referral mechanisms only address children in armed conflict. (45) In addition, there were reports that in 2019, the Somali National Police recruited and used at least 99 children in police activities. (20,44) Generally, the FGS lacks the capacity and resources to fully implement laws that are technically in force. (4)

Somaliland, Galmudug, and other semiautonomous regions rely on their own police and military forces, some of whom are not answerable to the FGS. (46)

Despite a 2016 general staff order prohibiting the enlistment of children under age 18, reporting confirmed SNA recruitment and use of children continued in 2019. (4,17-19) The Defense Ministry's Child Protection Unit (CPU) theoretically prosecutes these violations in the military justice system. (4) However, research found no evidence that the CPU investigated or prosecuted SNA officials who recruited or used child soldiers during the reporting period. (1,4,47) In 2019, state security forces detained at least 257 children, at times in the company of adults, for their alleged association with non-state armed groups. (19-21,48,49) Children who were detained under suspected affiliation with non-state armed groups were sometimes interrogated without legal representation and coerced into signing or recording confessions. Moreover, these children were at times threatened or physically harmed in ways that amount to torture. (21) In addition, although the Provisional Constitution defines a child as anyone under age 18, more than 30 children were given sentences ranging from 8 years to life imprisonment for association with Al-Shabaab. (21,31) Moreover, the Juvenile Justice Law of Puntland defines a child as anyone age 14 and under; consequently, the government detained and issued prison sentences, including life imprisonment, to children over age 14 for their association with armed groups. (21,45)

The FGS has established mechanisms to coordinate its efforts to address child labor (Table 7). However, gaps exist that hinder the effective coordination of efforts to address child labor, including efforts to address all forms of child labor.

**Table 7. Key Mechanisms to Coordinate Government Efforts on Child Labor**
Coordinating Body	Role & Description
CPU, Ministry of Defense	Raises awareness of child soldier issues and works with UNICEF to implement standard operating procedures on protecting children associated with armed conflict. (11,40,41) In 2019, with support from the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia, trained 179 SNA soldiers and officers on screening for and preventing the recruitment of children into armed conflict. Trainees included child protection focal points from various regions, as well as officers at sector headquarters. (4,22) With support from the UN, the African Union Mission to Somalia, and the U.S. Embassy, carried out 6 screening missions that examined more than 1,500 soldiers and resulted in the identification of 4 minors. (22) The CPU established a national Children Associated with Armed Conflict working group (CAACWG). The CPU also coordinated with the Ministry of Women and Human Rights, which oversees an informal child soldier referral system from CPU to NGOs. (4) Throughout the year, CPU developed and disseminated radio and print media content regarding the prevention of child recruitment and conscription in armed conflict. (4,9)
CAACWG	Implements the Child Soldier Action Plan and the Action Plan to End the Killing and Maiming of Children in Contravention of International Law. (4,40,41) Co-Chaired by CPU and UNICEF, includes other Ministry of Defense officials, representatives from the Ministry of Women and other relevant ministries, as well as UN officials. (40,48) In 2019, the government revived activities under the CAACWG by holding three meetings in Mogadishu. Discussions covered the implementation of actions plans on eliminating the use of children in armed conflict. (4)
Human Trafficking Task Forces	The FGS, Puntland, and Somaliland maintain different coordinating bodies to combat human trafficking. The Office of the Special Envoy for Children and Migrants' Rights, which includes a Task Force on Human Trafficking and Smuggling, leads FGS anti-trafficking efforts. (22) The Task Force, which is led by the Ministry of Interior and Federal Affairs, took steps to improve coordination across FGS. (50) Separately, Puntland's Counter Trafficking Board leads the region's anti-trafficking efforts. Somaliland's Counter Human Trafficking Agency coordinates the development of legislation and collection of data in the semi-autonomous region. (22)
Somali National Tripartite Labor Committee*	Manages the implementation of the Labor Code as well as the National Employment Policy. An ILO-recognized body, meets quarterly to review progress and has taken on child labor as an area of special concern. (4) In October 2019, held a workshop that resulted in a draft action plan on eradicating child labor in Somalia. (4) The establishment of the MOL-led Somali National Tripartite Labor Committee, and the inclusion of child labor as a special focus, has enabled the ministry to coordinate efforts within the government and between the government and the private sector. (4)

* Mechanism to coordinate efforts to address child labor was created during the reporting period.

Although Somalia has mechanisms to coordinate efforts to address child soldiering, it does not have coordinating mechanisms to address other forms of child labor, including forced labor in domestic work, agriculture, and herding livestock.

The government has established policies related to child labor (Table 8). However, policy gaps exist that hinder efforts to address child labor, including limited scope of existing policies.

**Table 8. Key Policies Related to Child Labor**
Policy	Description
National Employment Policy†	Provides the Somali National Tripartite Labor Committee with a roadmap for improving labor conditions, including stipulations related to child labor. During the reporting period, the Ministry of Labor, in consultation with ILO, finalized a macroeconomic analysis of the labor market in Somalia and used the data gathered to inform the policy. (4,9,39,51) The policy was designed with ILO support under a Joint UN Project on Youth Employment in Somalia and was adopted in February 2019. (4,5)
Child Soldier Action Plan	Establishes a strategy for identifying and removing children from SNA ranks through education and monitoring of military camps. (40) In 2012, FGS committed to two UN Action Plans to end grave violations against children, including recruitment and use and killing and maiming. In October 2019, the government committed to a UN Roadmap to expedite the implementation of the two Action Plans. (47,52) The adoption of the roadmap will address grave violations, including recruitment and use. (18,53) In 2019, 1,315 children previously associated with armed groups received UNICEF reintegration support under the roadmap. (44)
Somalia Social Protection Policy†	Develops and strengthens components of a national social protection system, including safety net programs. Provisions include a guaranteed income floor for vulnerable households, and families with children under age 5. (54-56) The tiered policy is designed to protect the poorest strata of society from sinking into destitution, prevent the moderately poor from sliding into extreme poverty, and promote the livelihoods of at-risk populations. (4)
National Development Plan (2017–2019)†	Broad-based security and poverty reduction policy, with provisions for ending all forms of violence against children, including child labor, and developing and implementing a National Child Labor Policy. Under the National Development Plan's Education Sector Strategic Plan, the Ministry of Education launched a primary school curriculum and established a national secondary school graduation examination. (57,58) In October 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted the National Development Plan for 2020–2024, which replaces the previous iteration. (57,59)
United Nations Strategic Framework (2017–2020)	Establishes a broad strategic framework in support of humanitarian, development, political, and security reform in Somalia. Includes measures to prevent child recruitment, rehabilitate former child soldiers, and mitigate human rights violations, including arbitrary arrest of children. The framework targets 90 percent access to child soldier reintegration services and 70 percent implementation of the 2020 Action Plans on Children Associated with Armed Conflict and Conflict Related Sexual Violence. (60) The government also undertook CPU capacity building through training and enhanced screening measures. (22,26) The framework also seeks to establish a nationwide social protection system, which was operationalized in 2020. (54,55)

† Policy was approved during the reporting period. (58)
‡ The government has other policies that may have addressed child labor issues or had an impact on child labor. (61)

Although the government has some polices that address child soldiers, research found no evidence of any policies to address child labor in agriculture, industry, street work, or domestic work.

In 2019, the government funded and participated in programs that include the goal of eliminating child labor (Table 9). However, gaps exist in these social programs, including in their ability to address the problem in all sectors.

**Table 9. Key Social Programs to Address Child Labor**
Program	Description
National Program for Treatment and Handling of Disengaged Combatants	FGS program in coordination with UNICEF that rehabilitates former combatants, emphasizing the specific needs of child combatants and of female combatants and their dependents. (62) Centers, located in Baidoa, Belet Weyne, Kismayo, and Mogadishu, provide accommodation, psychological counseling, education, and vocational training to former combatants. (63) Research was unable to determine whether activities were undertaken to implement the National Program for Treatment and Handling of Disengaged Combatants during the reporting period.
Joint Program on Youth Employment Somalia	Joint program by the Food and Agriculture Organization, ILO, UNDP, UN-Habitat, and UN Industrial Development Organization that seeks to improve sustainable employment opportunities for youth and develop their skills to respond to needs in the labor market. (64) In 2019, coordinated with the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Planning to conduct a labor force survey, resulting in the development of a National Employment Policy. (39,51,65)
Donor-Funded Programs	Programs that aim to improve the resiliency of vulnerable families. The $267 million UNICEF Country Program (2018–2020), implemented with FGS support, aims to ensure safe, equitable, and quality education for children through a child protection framework. (66) In 2019, assisted 1,315 children formerly associated with armed groups through reintegration programs, including family reunification and access to formal and informal education. (44,67) UNICEF also provided more than 34,000 children, nearly half of whom were girls, with access to formal or non-formal education and vocational training during the reporting period. UNICEF also reached 36,000 children with psychosocial support. (67) Moreover, the $600 million WFP Country Strategic Plan (2019–2021) provided both conditional and unconditional food or cash-based food assistance to vulnerable children. (68) In 2019, WFP provided 2 meals per day to 200,000 school children enrolled in its school feeding programs. (69)
Peace Building Fund*	$2 million UN-funded project that supports the prevention of child recruitment and the reintegration of former child soldiers. (52) The project, announced in October 2019 in Baidoa, the capital of the South West State, will supplement SNA child soldier prevention and screening methods. Children identified will be released, rehabilitated, and reintegrated into society. (20,22,52)
ACT to Protect Children Affected by Armed Conflict*†	FGS awareness-raising initiative, launched under the auspices of a global UN advocacy campaign highlighting children in armed conflict. (72) Throughout the year, CPU developed and disseminated radio and print media content regarding the prevention of child recruitment and conscription in armed conflict. (22)

* Program was launched during the reporting period. (22)
† Program was funded partially by the government. (22)
‡ The government had other social programs that may have included the goal of eliminating or preventing child labor. (73)

Although the FGS implemented programs to address child soldiers and child trafficking, existing programs fail to address the scope of the problem, including street work and forced labor in agriculture.

Based on the reporting above, suggested actions are identified that would advance the elimination of child labor in Somalia (Table 10).

**Table 10. Suggested Government Actions to Eliminate Child Labor**
Area	Suggested Action	Year(s) Suggested
Legal Framework	Accede to the UN CRC Optional Protocol on Armed Conflict.	2013 – 2019
	Accede to the UN CRC Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution, and Child Pornography.	2013 – 2019
	Accede to the Palermo Protocol on Trafficking in Persons.	2013 – 2019
	Clarify whether the pre-1991 Labor Code is still in effect under the Federal Government of Somalia.	2009 – 2019
	Criminally prohibit child trafficking for the purpose of labor and sexual exploitation.	2009 – 2019
	Criminally prohibit using, procuring, and offering a child for prostitution, pornography, and pornographic performances.	2015 – 2019
	Ensure that penalties for the commercial sexual exploitation of children are sufficiently stringent to deter violations.	2013 – 2019
	Ensure that the law protects children involved in commercial sexual exploitation from criminal charges.	2011 – 2019
	Criminally prohibit the use of children in illicit activities.	2009 – 2019
	Criminally prohibit the recruitment of children under age 18 by non-state armed groups.	2016 – 2019
	Raise the compulsory education age to be commensurate with the minimum age for work.	2009 – 2019
	Ensure that Puntland's regional laws define a child as anyone under age 18, in accordance with international standards.	2016 – 2019
	Ensure that a legal framework on child labor is in place that includes a minimum age for hazardous work; determines the activities in which light work may be permitted and prescribes the number of hours per week for light work; and, in consultation with employers' and workers' organizations, determines the types of hazardous work prohibited for children.	2009 – 2019
Enforcement	Establish a labor inspectorate to investigate, monitor, and enforce laws related to child labor, and include adequate funding, human resources, and training for personnel.	2009 – 2019
	Report information on the training of investigators, as well as the number of investigations conducted, violations found, prosecutions initiated, and convictions achieved in all regions of Somalia.	2016 – 2019
	Ensure that criminal law enforcement officials receive sufficient training and resources to investigate, prosecute, and convict violators of the worst forms of child labor.	2012 – 2019
	Cease the recruitment and use of child soldiers by the Somali Police Force, the National Intelligence and Security Agency, and the Somali National Army, as well as Galmudug, Jubaland, and Puntland forces and all allied militia. Investigate, prosecute, and punish, as appropriate, all commanders who recruit and use children.	2015 – 2019
	Ensure that children associated with armed groups are not detained with adults and refer these children to social service providers. Cease the practice of sentencing children to long prison terms for associating with armed groups.	2015 – 2019
	Establish a referral mechanism between the Somali National Police and social welfare services for children engaged in forced labor and commercial sexual exploitation.	2014 – 2019
Coordination	Establish coordinating mechanisms to combat all forms of child labor.	2009 – 2019
Government Policies	Adopt policies to address child labor in agriculture, industry, street work, and domestic work.	2018 – 2019
Social Programs	Enhance efforts to eliminate barriers and make education accessible and safe for all children by removing all armed groups from educational facilities, constructing schools outside Mogadishu, and removing enrollment fees.	2013 – 2019
	Develop programs to address child labor, such as in street work and forced labor in agriculture. Expand existing programs to address the scope of children in armed conflict.	2009 – 2019
	Ensure all social programs are implemented as intended.	2019
	Adopt a country-wide birth registration system to facilitate identification of child labor violations.	2019

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