VZCZCXRO6313
RR RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #2961 3491144
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151144Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7105
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 0218
RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON 0770
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0798

UNCLAS DAKAR 002961 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR DRL/IL - TU DANG, AF/W AND AF/RSA 
DOL FOR ILAB/MCCARTER 
ACCRA FOR USAID/WA 
PARIS FOR POL - D'ELIA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB EIND ETRD PHUM SOCI EAID PU
SUBJECT: GUINEA BISSAU: WORST FORMS OF CHILD LABOR 
 
REF: A. STATE 184972 
 
     ¶B. DAKAR 0527 
 
¶1.  This cable responds to Ref A on the Worst Forms of Child 
Labor report.  The situation in Guinea-Bissau is little 
changed since post reported on the 2005 Child Labor Report 
and the 2006 Trafficking in Persons Report (Ref B). 
 
BACKGROUND 
---------- 
¶2.  Guinea-Bissau does not have a serious problem with the 
worst forms of child labor.  There is very little industry, 
mining, or production of any kind aside from agriculture, 
mainly cashews.  The worst forms of child labor that exist 
throughout the country according to NGOs and government 
officials are prostitution and trafficking for begging. 
Prostitution is not widespread and is not organized. 
Trafficking occurs when religious leaders or their agents 
transport children to neighboring countries, usually Senegal, 
for forced begging.  (See Ref B.) 
 
¶3.  Two other dangerous forms of labor were identified by 
leading child rights NGO Association for Women and Children 
(AMIC): assisting on fishin and transport canoes in the 
ocean and selling smll items in the street which preclude 
children fom attending school and expose them to exhaust and 
potential traffic accidents.  Also, children somtimes sell 
basic items late at night around the ew bars and discos in 
Bissau. 
 
LAWS AND ENFORCEMENT 
-------------------- 
¶4.  The current law pohibits children from working until 
they reach te age of 14 and complete the sixth grade in 
schol.  However, the penalty for breaking this law has not 
been updated since the law was drafted; so the current value 
of the fine is less than one US dollar.  The law defines the 
worst forms of child labor in the same way the International 
Labor Organization (ILO) does, although Guinea-Bissau is not 
yet a party to ILO Conventions 182 or 138.  However, the 
National Assembly debated both conventions on December 12 
and, according to the Director General of Labor, Augusto 
Alberto, voted to ratify the same day. 
 
¶5.  Enforcement of all crimes is weak, not just child labor 
infractions.  The judiciary is not fully independent, police 
are often unpaid and most have never received professional 
training.  There is no prison, and jail conditions are very 
poor.  Corruption is pervasive.  UNICEF has an ongoing 
program to provide broad assistance on children,s rights in 
conjunction with the Government,s Institute of Women and 
Children.  The USD 88,000 program includes awareness, 
training for police and NGOs, and assistance. 
 
PREVENTION AND ASSISTANCE 
------------------------- 
¶6.  The GOGB provides little additional assistance to 
eliminating the worst forms of child labor.  It contributes 
annual operating funds to AMIC and another NGO, S.O.S., both 
of which work to fight child trafficking among other 
programs.  Those same NGOs and others receive tax breaks and 
Government assistance to cover utility costs.  Key ministries 
cooperate and assist in implementation of NGO programs such 
as the U.S. Department of Agriculture-funded program to 
provide school lunches.  However, the GOGB indirectly 
contributes to the problem of child labor by not paying 
teachers, salaries, sometimes for months at a time.  As a 
result, schools are often closed and children end up working 
more and studying less. 
 
¶7.  Guinea-Bissau signed onto a regional initiative to combat 
trafficking in people this year in Libreville, Gabon.  The 
initiative includes a multilateral accord and plan of action 
to combat trafficking in women and children. 
JACOBS