CAPE VERDE REPORTS NO WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 PRAIA 000051 SENSITIVE SIPDIS DOL/ILAB FOR TINA MCCARTER DOL/IL FOR TU DANG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ELAB ETRD PHUM SOCI CV SUBJECT: CAPE VERDE REPORTS NO WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR REF: STATE 131997 PRAIA 00000051 001.2 OF 003 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Cape Verde has a very low incidence of forced and exploitative child labor has no worst forms of child labor. Of children who work, most do so to augment their family income. Specifically, many of these children work as street vendors and car washers in cities, or assist with harvests in rural areas. These tasks are usually done outside school hours. Forced and exploitative child labor is believed to be rare, however the tracking and enforcement mechanisms of the Cape Verdean government employs in the area are relatively weak and could be strengthened. End summary. ¶2. (U) The following answers are keyed to reftel questions. Tasking 1/TVPRA: Use of Forced Labor and/or Exploitive Child Labor in the Production of Goods -------------- -------------- Cape Verde does not use forced labor and exploitative child labor in the production of goods. Tasking 2/TDA: Exploitive Child Labor for Countries Eligible for Trade Benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) -------------- -------------- 2A) PREVALENCE AND SECTORAL DISTRIBUTION OF EXPLOITIVE CHILD LABOR: ¶1. Children were involved in domestic service, street vending, and car washing. Children help their parents earn a living, especially in single-parent and low income families. ¶2. The government is willing to provide the data set to DOL for further analysis. 2 B) LAWS AND REGULATIONS: ¶1. No new laws or regulations were enacted in regard to exploitive child labor. Children continued to work as street vendors and car washers but mostly as a means to help their families. 2 C) INSTITUTIONS AND MECHANISMS FOR ENFORCEMENT OF HAZARDOUS CHILD LABOR AND FORCED CHILD LABOR: (Note: the answers for Qh sections are the same. End note.) ¶1. The agencies responsible for the enforcement of laws relating to hazardous child labor and forced child labor were the Ministry of Labor, Professional Training and Social Solidarity, the Direction-General of Labor, and the Inspection General of Labor. ¶2. The agencies may exchange information through written reports and "ad hoc" information. There have been no reports of hazardous child labor. ¶3. Complaints may be filed through written or oral reports. There were no complaints received in the reporting period. ¶4. There was no funding provided specifically to agencies responsible for inspections. Inspectors have sufficient office facilities, but lack transportation, fuel, and financial means to reach all points of the country and train people to carry out inspections. ¶5. There are no inspectors specifically to address hazardous child and forced child labor issues. ¶6. No inspections involving child labor were carried out, since there were no reported hazardous child labor cases. Children do not work in formal sectors which are regularly inspected, but mainly on the streets as car washers and street vendors. Inspectors have reported no cases of hazardous child labor and received no complaints of hazardous child labor. PRAIA 00000051 002.2 OF 003 2C, Sections I and II, Questions 7 through 13: Hazardous child labor and forced child labor N/A ¶14. The government did not offer any training for investigators or others responsible for enforcement. 2D) INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS FOR EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT OF CHILD TRAFFICKING, COMMERCIAL SEXUAL EXPLOITATION (CSE) OF CHILDREN, USE OF CHILDREN IN ILLICIT ACTIVITIES: (Note: the answers are the same for all three areas. End note.) ¶1. The country did not have agencies or personnel dedicated to enforcement of child trafficking of children in illicit activities. The government employed no investigators/social workers/dedicated police officers to conduct investigations. ¶2. No funding was provided to agencies responsible for investigating child trafficking of children in illicit activities. ¶3. The country maintained a victims' hotline for reporting child trafficking, CSE and in illicit activities violations. No complaints were received. ¶4. No investigations were opened since there were no child trafficking/CSE/use of children in illicit activities cases. Questions 5 through 11:N/A ¶12. No, the government offered no training for investigators or others responsible for enforcement of child trafficking. ¶13. N/A 2E) GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON CHILD LABOR: ¶1. No, this is not viewed as a significant issue, so the government did not have a policy or plan that specifically addressed exploitive child labor. ¶2. The country did not incorporate exploitive child labor specifically as an issue to be addressed in poverty reduction, development, educational or other social policies. However, all programs that fight poverty contribute indirectly to enabling children to leave work and enter school. For example, the Institute of Children and Adolescents (ICCA) has shelter for homeless and/or abandoned children to prevent them from staying on the streets, thus decreasing child labor. Another important public policy element is that primary education is compulsory and free nationwide. ¶3. The government did not provide funding specifically for child labor. ¶4. N/A ¶5. The Association for the Children in Need (ACRIDES) has a program in partnership with public and private entities, under which hot meals are provided to street kids, and has a shelter that provides after-school education programs. ACRIDES also has a program focused on children in conflict with the law that brings them out of the unofficial work-force. ¶6. No information available. ¶7. No, the government did not sign bilateral, regional or international agreement to combat trafficking. 2F) SOCIAL PROGRAMS TO ELIMINATE OR PREVENT CHILD LABOR: ¶1. As child labor is not viewed as a significant issue, the government did not implement any programs specifically to address the worst forms of child labor. ¶2. The country did not incorporate child labor specifically as an issue to be addressed in poverty reduction, development, educational or other social programs, such as conditional cash transfer programs or eligibility for school meals, etc. ¶3. N/A ¶4. The government did not provide any non-monetary support to child labor programs, as child labor is not viewed as a PRAIA 00000051 003.2 OF 003 significant issue in the country. ¶5. N/A ¶6. N/A 2G) CONTINUAL PROGRESS: ¶1. There are no official statistics available for 2009, yet. However, during the reporting period, the government of Cape Verde found that no worst forms of child labor existed; therefore the government has developed no specific policy or program to combat exploitive child labor. However, through ICCA and with the support of NGOs such as ACRIDES, it indirectly contributed to preventing exploitative child labor situations. Following the 2006 Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) meeting in Lisbon, where it was agreed that Cape Verde would join other member states in an attempt to combat child labor, the government agreed to follow the recommendations of the CPLP. ICCA carried out a study on the worst forms of child labor at the government's request, which was broadcast on the government-owned TV station and given media coverage. During the year, ICCA reported that there were no worst forms of child labor, as defined by the ILO 182 Convention. MYLES