Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

Ukraine

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Ukraine
2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

Minimal Advancement – Efforts Made but Continued Law that Delayed Advancement

In 2021, Ukraine made minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. The government adopted Law No. 1256-IX, which strengthened Ukraine's child protection framework by criminalizing the sexual exploitation of children in accordance with the Council of Europe's Lanzarote Convention. The Office of the Prosecutor General issued Order No. 224 to ensure all Ukrainian government bodies responsible for investigating crimes against children are fully observing the laws and regulations aimed at protecting minors. Additionally, the Ministry of Social Policy collaborated with UNICEF to develop a National Strategy for Children's Rights. However, despite new initiatives to address child labor, Ukraine is assessed as having made only minimal advancement because it continued to uphold Act No. 877-V of 2007, which both restricts labor inspectors' ability to conduct regular workplace visits and places limits on the time, scope, and duration of worksite inspections. Furthermore, in 2021, the National Police opened criminal investigations against 72 children for participation in Russia-led military formations in the so-called "Donetsk People’s Republic" and "Luhansk People’s Republic," as well as one child in the Russia-led forces in Crimea; it transferred 47 of these cases to courts for prosecution. Children in Ukraine are subjected to the worst forms of child labor, including in the production of pornography. Children also perform dangerous tasks in mining. The government collected few of the financial penalties imposed for child labor violations and lacked social programs designed to assist children engaged in hazardous work in mining. In addition, it remains unclear how Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 will affect the child labor situation throughout the country.

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