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UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 04 SUVA 000023 
 
SIPDIS 
 
FOR: DOL/ILAB FOR LEYLA STROTKAMP, RACHEL RIGBY AND TINA MCCARTER, 
STATE DRL/ILCSR FOR SARAH MORGAN AND G/TIP FOR LUIS CDEBACA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD KTIP PHUM SOCI USAID FJ
 
SUBJECT: FIJI: DOL CHILD LABOR REPORT INFORMATION 
 
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* Missing Section 001 * 
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SUVA 00000023  002 OF 004 
 
 
number is insufficient to effectively address child labor issues. 
Labor inspectors are stationed in the larger towns, and have 
difficulty getting out to the smaller rural communities and outer 
islands. 
- 6.  No information was available on the number of inspections. 
- 7.  No children were removed or officially assisted as the result 
of inspections.  Labor officers report unofficially assisting 
children, by raising awareness of the law, by providing warnings to 
employers who are not fully compliant, and by encouraging their 
parents to apply to social welfare for help. 
- 8.  No cases were opened. 
- 9.  No cases were resolved. 
- 10.  No violations were found or convictions reached. 
- 11.  No cases were opened or resolved. 
- 12.  No violations were found. 
- 13.  There is an inadequate effort to combat child labor. 
Considerable evidence shows that child labor does happen in Fiji, so 
a complete lack of reported cases demonstrates a failure to 
systematically address the problem and track results. 
- 14.  In September 2009, the Ministry of Labour offered a short 
training for labor inspectors on this issue, the first the 
government has conducted.  The feedback from the labor officers 
contributed to Ministry of Labour plans to more effectively address 
this issue. 
 
¶5.  Tasking 2D):  Institutional Mechanisms for Effective 
Enforcement 
- 2D, Section I: Child Trafficking 
--1.  Enforcement of laws on child trafficking is divided between 
the police, the Ministry of Immigration, and the Department of 
Public Prosecution.  No officials were dedicated to enforcement in 
¶2009.  The police formed a task force to develop strategies to 
address trafficking in persons, including child trafficking.  All 
police officers, labor inspectors, and immigration officials 
theoretically had responsibility to address child trafficking, 
however the pervasive lack of awareness hampered efforts. 
-- 2.  Total funding information is not available.  No funding was 
allocated specifically for these tasks. 
-- 3.  There was no hotline or dedicated mechanism to receive 
complaints. 
-- 4.  No investigations were opened.  This is inadequate, based on 
the evidence, and stems from the pervasive lack of awareness.   Most 
officials were only aware of the issue of international trafficking, 
and cross-border trafficking of children in Fiji is extremely rare. 
Currently, the government is working to address this problem with 
new laws, and substantive awareness-raising and training efforts. 
-- 5.  No children were rescued. 
-- 6.  No arrests were made. 
-- 7.  No cases were closed or resolved. 
--  8.  No convictions happened. 
-- 9.  This is not applicable.  See previous responses. 
--10.  Not applicable. 
-- 11.  No cases were resolved. 
-- 12.  The government conducted three conferences addressing this 
issue.  The police and DPP have formed task forces, and are 
developing cooperative efforts with the NGO community.  New laws 
have been promulgated, to better allow for trafficking offenses to 
be prosecuted. 
-- 13.  There were no reports of child soldiers in 2009. 
 
¶6.  Tasking 2D, Section II: CSEC 
- 1.  Enforcement of laws on CSEC is the responsibility of the 
police.  No officials were dedicated to enforcement of CSEC in 2009. 
 The police formed a task force to develop strategies to address 
trafficking in persons, including child sex trafficking.  There were 
four members of the unit responsible for sexual crimes against 
children. 
- 2.  Total funding information is not available.  No funding was 
allocated specifically for these tasks. 
- 3.  There was no hotline or dedicated mechanism to receive 
complaints. 
- 4.  Two cases suspected of involving trafficking and CSEC are 
 
SUVA 00000023  003 OF 004 
 
 
being prosecuted under the defilement statute.  Prior to the 
implementation of the Crimes Decree in February 2010, it was 
difficult to apply criminal charges for CSEC, and prosecutions were 
rare, leading to inadequate efforts to address this problem. 
- 5.  No child rescues were reported. 
- 6.  No arrests were made. 
- 7.  No cases were closed or resolved. 
- 8.  No convictions happened. 
- 9.  This is not applicable.  See previous responses. 
- 10.  Not applicable. 
- 11.  No cases were resolved. 
- 12.  The government conducted three conferences addressing this 
issue.  The police and DPP have formed task forces, and are 
developing cooperative efforts with the NGO community.  The 
government is cooperating with the ILO on the TACKLE project, which 
addresses CSEC and other forms of exploitive child labor.  New laws 
have been promulgated, to better allow for trafficking offenses to 
be prosecuted. 
- 13.  There were no reports of child soldiers in 2009. 
 
¶7.  Tasking 2D, Section III: Use of Children in Illicit Activities 
- 1.  Enforcement of laws on the use of children in illicit 
activities is the responsibility of the police.  No officials were 
dedicated to enforcement of these laws in 2009. 
- 2.  Total funding information is not available.  No funding was 
allocated specifically for these tasks. 
- 3.  There was no hotline or dedicated mechanism to receive 
complaints. 
- 4.  No investigations were opened.  This is inadequate. 
- 5.  No children were rescued. 
- 6.  No arrests were made. 
- 7.  No cases were closed or resolved. 
- 8.  No convictions happened. 
- 9.  This is not applicable.  See previous responses. 
- 10.  Not applicable. 
- 11.  No cases were resolved. 
- 12.  No steps have been taken to address these issues. 
- 13.  There were no reports of child soldiers in 2009. 
 
¶8.  Tasking 2E): Government policies on child labor 
- 1.  The government has not had a specific policy or plan to 
address exploitive child labor.  A coordinated plan is being 
developed by the Ministry of Labour for 2010. 
- 2.  This issue was included in the Employment Relations 
Promulgation. 
- 3.  No plan exists to be funded. 
- 4.  No plan exists to be supported.  The government is working to 
develop a plan. 
- 5.  The government cooperated with the ILO on the TACKLE project 
to research the problem of child labor and create a plan to address 
it.  The study has not yet been released, and the Ministry of Labour 
is in the process of developing a national plan, with the goal of 
beginning to take action in March 2010. 
- 6.  The government worked on the TACKLE project with the ILO to 
address child labor.  Results are not yet available. 
- 7.  No agreements or conventions were signed in 2009 
 
¶9.  Tasking 2F): Social Programs to eliminate or prevent child 
labor 
- 1.  No programs were implemented specifically to address this 
issue. 
- 2.  Efforts to address poverty included, but did not specifically 
address child labor.   Labor inspectors referred families to poverty 
alleviation efforts of the Ministry of Social Welfare. 
- 3.  No programs exist. 
- 4.  No programs exist. 
- 5.  The government implemented a plan to help children in need get 
free bus fare to improve school attendance, and general anti-poverty 
efforts.  No formal efforts were made to address child labor. 
- 6.  The government did not sign any agreements in 2009.  The laws 
of Fiji are consistent with all ILO accords signed, however 
enforcement remains inadequate. 
 
SUVA 00000023  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
 
¶10.  Tasking 2G): Continual Progress 
Despite poor performance, the government made progress in combating 
exploitive child labor in 2009.  Efforts to address child labor in 
Fiji are starting from a very low level of awareness and capacity. 
The government has begun work to develop the official framework to 
implement existing child labor laws, which should lead to meaningful 
improvements.  While there were no prosecutions, work has begun on 
training, and laying the implementing framework to perform more 
effectively in 2010. 
 
MCGANN