ARMENIA CHILD LABOR REPORT: EXPLOITIVE CHILD

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 YEREVAN 001838

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/CACEN AND DRL/IL MHARPOLE
DOL FOR ILAB TFAULKNER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM SOCI ECON ELAB AM
SUBJECT: ARMENIA CHILD LABOR REPORT: EXPLOITIVE CHILD
LABOR VERY RARE

Refs: A) STATE 163453 B) YEREVAN 529


1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Please protect
accordingly.

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SUMMARY
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2. (SBU) Armenia's constitution prohibits child labor, and
the use of children in the workforce is very rare. The high
demand for jobs, especially for unskilled workers, and the
cultural premium on family and education make it very
unlikely that employers would give valuable jobs to
children. While conventional bonded or slave child labor is
not a problem in Armenia, the government has taken steps to
protect all women from trafficking and sexual exploitation
in response to recent reports of trafficking for
prostitution (ref B). End Summary.

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ARMENIAN LAW PROHIBITS CHILD LABOR
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3. (SBU) Armenian law provides for solid protection against
child labor. Children under the age of 18 may not work at
night, more than six hours at a time, or in difficult or
dangerous jobs, even in family businesses. Children may
work without a permit from the age of 16. Children 14 and
older may only work with permission of a medical commission
and the local labor union board. Armenia's Constitutional
Court has approved ILO Convention 182 for ratification and
Armenia will likely accede during the Fall 2004 legislative
session. The convention's provisions are nonetheless
already part of Armenian Labor Code and the Law on
Children's Rights, which prohibits child employment that may
endanger their health, physical or mental development, or
may interfere with their education.

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LITTLE DEMAND FOR CHILD LABOR
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4. (SBU) That there has been no prosecution of a case of
child labor is more a testament to child labor's rarity than
to the lack of enforcement. The Department of Women, Family
and Children within the Ministry of Labor is charged to
enforce the Child Protection Law. Local representatives of
UNICEF told us that the department's primary concern was
adoptions and guardianship issues, and that child labor is
not a significant concern. We have visited many of the
major industrial enterprises and farms in Armenia and have
seen no evidence of child labor. Rather, the low
availability of jobs, especially for the unskilled, means
that factory or farm managers are unlikely to give valuable
jobs to children.

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ARMENIA IS MAKING EFFORTS TO COMBAT TRAFFICKING
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5. (SBU) Government efforts to investigate and prosecute
trafficking offenses are both at an all-time high for
Armenia (ref B). Although none of the known trafficking
cases involve minors, there is anecdotal evidence that
traffickers have targeted underage girls in Armenia's
orphanages. With international assistance, the GOAM has
trained its worldwide consular staff to recognize
trafficking and has collaborated with police in destination
countries to apprehend traffickers. Local NGOs have
launched a media campaign to educate poor communities about
trafficking and sexual exploitation and also have
established a hotline to connect victims with community
assistance groups. We expect the government to maintain its
heightened attention to this issue and continue to take
steps to more effectively prevent and prosecute trafficking-
related offenses.

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COMMENT: CHILD LABOR NOT PART OF THE CULTURE
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6. (SBU) Armenians value highly both family and education:
UNICEF reports that only 6 percent of children under 18 do
not attend school. Although poverty, the lack of transport,
and the lack of medical attention to children with special
needs may keep some children -- especially in rural areas --
idle and out of school, Armenian culture would not tolerate
keeping children from school to take valuable jobs that
adults are waiting to fill. While some children doubtless
work in family businesses, bonded or arduous labor by
children is unheard of in Armenia. Recent efforts to
protect all women from trafficking and sexual exploitation
include public education targeting minor girls in vulnerable
populations.
GODFREY