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Viewing cable 07LAPAZ1111, UN) REQUEST FOR UPDATE OF WORST FORMS OF CHILD

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07LAPAZ1111 2007-04-20 18:35 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Embassy La Paz
VZCZCXYZ0000
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLP #1111/01 1101835
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201835Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY LA PAZ
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3304
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS LA PAZ 001111 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PLEASE PASS TO DOL, TINA MCCARTER, SHARON HELLER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON BL
SUBJECT: (UN) REQUEST FOR UPDATE OF WORST FORMS OF CHILD 
LABOR INFORMATION FOR MANDATORY REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 
 
REF: STATE 184972 
 
1. Laws and regulations proscribing the worst forms of child 
labor. 
a) What laws and regulations have been promulgated on child 
labor, such as minimum age(s) for employment or hazardous 
forms of work? 
 
The minimum age for child labor is 14.  Under President 
Morales, the Government of Bolivia established age 18 as the 
minimum age for children to participate in the most hazardous 
forms of child labor.  The policy framework for child labor 
is the National Plan for Progressive Eradication of Child 
Labor, 2000-2010.  The policy framework was amended in 2006 
to establish a more comprehensive policy on child labor, draw 
attention to the issue of child exploitation, and called for 
the formation of subcommittees on the worst forms of child 
labor. 
 
b) If there is a minimum age for employment, is that age 
consistent with the age for completing educational 
requirements?  Are there exceptions to the minimum age law? 
 
The minimum age for employment is 14 and that age is 
consistent with the age for completing educational 
requirements.  The exception to the minimum age law is that 
Bolivia does not provide a minimum age for apprenticeships. 
 
c) Do the country's laws define the worst forms of child 
labor or hazardous work as the ILO defines those terms? 
 
Bolivia defines the worst forms of child labor in very 
general terms, for example, working underground, trafficking 
in children, carrying excessively heavy loads, and working 
with chemicals.  President Morales proposed a law defining 
the most hazardous forms of child labor, which include 
mining, working in sugar cane fields, cultivating Brazil 
nuts, and sexual exploitation, but the law has not yet been 
ratified by the Congress. 
 
d) If the country has ratified Convention 182, has it 
developed a list of occupations considered to be worst forms 
of child labor, as called for in article 4 of the Convention? 
 
Bolivia has ratified Convention 182.  The GOB has developed a 
list of the worst forms of child labor but the list is 
currently with the commission and has not yet been ratified 
by the Congress. 
 
2. Regulations for implementation and enforcement of 
proscriptions against the worst forms of child labor. 
a) Has the government designated an authority to implement 
and enforce child labor laws? 
 
The Ministry of Labor is the designated authority to 
implement and enforce child labor laws. 
 
b) What legal remedies are available to government agencies 
that enforce child labor laws (criminal penalties, civil 
fines, court orders), and are they adequate to punish and 
deter violations? 
 
The Ministry of Labor has the authority to enforce child 
labor laws and inform local authorities of any child labor 
violations.  The municipal governments conduct child labor 
investigations, but in reality, they have very few resources 
to follow through with investigations.  In areas such as 
Potosi, where mining plays a vital role in the economy, the 
municipal government has little authority to deter families 
from sending their children to work in the mines. 
 
c) To what extent are complaints investigated and violations 
addressed? 
 
Child labor laws are generally not effectively enforced nor 
are violations adequately investigated in most areas of 
Bolivia due to resource constraints and/or a lack of will by 
municipal governments. 
 
d) What level of resources does the government devote to 
investigating child labor cases throughout the country? 
 
Under President Morales, the government has placed an 
increased emphasis on the issue of child labor.  The GOB has 
raised the country's level of awareness of the hazards of 
child labor and has involved almost all government ministries 
in activities concerning the oversight and prevention of 
child labor, including the Ministry of Education, Ministry of 
Health, Ministry of Planning, and Ministry of Mining.  While 
the issue of child labor is more of a priority for the 
 
current government, there are still few concrete resources 
dedicated to child labor investigations. 
 
e) How many inspectors does the government employ to address 
child labor issues? 
 
The government employs about 15 inspectors throughout the 
country. 
 
f) How many child labor investigations have been conducted 
over the past year?  How  many have resulted if fines, 
penalties, or convictions? 
 
While the exact number of child labor investigations over the 
past year is unclear, in general, there have been very few 
investigations.  Even fewer have resulted in fines, 
penalties, or convictions.  The government has authorized a 
National Commission to investigate the child labor situation 
in Bolivia, but the investigation has not yet been conducted. 
 
g) Has the government provided awareness raising and/or 
training activities for officials charged with enforcing 
child labor laws? 
 
The government implemented an awareness campaign in airports 
and around border areas to prevent trafficking in children. 
The government works with multilateral and non-governmental 
organizations such as CARE, UNICEF, the International Labor 
Organization, the International Office on Migration, among 
others, to promote awareness about child labor issues. 
 
3. Whether there are social programs to prevent and withdraw 
children from the worst forms of child labor. 
a) What initiatives has the government supported to prevent 
children from entering exploitative work situations, to 
withdraw children engaged in child labor, and to advocate on 
behalf of children involved in such employment and their 
families? 
 
A new initiative under President Morales is the "Juancito 
Pinto" program, a cash payment program conditioned upon 
school attendance.  Under the Juancito Pinto program, the GOB 
provides a disbursement of 100 bolivianos to families with 
school-age children at the beginning of the school year, and 
another 100 bolivianos if the child completes the school 
term.  (Note: 100 bolivianos is equivalent to about USD 
$12.50.  End note).  This new initiative promotes access to 
education while at the same time helps to prevent children 
from entering work situations. 
 
A three-year subplan to combat child labor was adopted in 
2005, and several improvements have been made to the plan. 
Under the auspices of the National Development Plan, the GOB 
has adopted a subcommittee for the protection of children, 
which is working to lay out specific laws. 
 
The Ministry of Labor worked with UNICEF to publish books for 
children and their families describing child labor laws and 
individual rights for those working in sugar cane fields. 
 
b) Does the government support programs to promote children's 
access to school and to enhance the quality and relevance of 
schooling? 
 
The government supports programs to promote access to 
schooling and to enhance the quality of education.  The most 
significant measure taken by the current government was the 
implementation of the "Juancito Pinto" program.  The GOB is 
working with international organizations to promote 
education.  For example, UNICEF has a program in Bolivia to 
provide birth registration and identification cards to 
children in order to facilitate access to schooling.  The 
World Bank also provides funding for educational programs. 
The Morales government has stated that education is a 
priority, but it has few resources, outside of international 
donations, to improve the quality of public education. 
 
c) Does the government provide support to vocational programs 
for older children that can serve as an alternative to work? 
 
The government supports vocational programs through the 
assistance of international organizations and foreign 
assistance, including the U.S. Department of Labor. 
 
d) Do the country's laws/regulations call for universal or 
compulsory education?  Are these requirements enforced? 
 
Bolivia's laws call for compulsory education for ages 6 to 
13, but these requirements are rarely enforced. 
 
e) Is education free or are fees charged for attendance, 
books, supplies, or transportation? 
 
Public education is free, but fees are charged for books, 
supplies, and transportation.  Bolivia has a free breakfast 
program for primary school children in several 
municipalities, which has helped to increase school 
attendance. 
 
4. Does the country have a comprehensive policy aimed at the 
elimination of the worst forms of child labor? 
a) Does the country have a comprehensive policy or national 
program of action on child labor?  If so, to what degree has 
the country implemented the policy and/or program of action 
and achieved its goals and objectives? 
 
Yes, the National Plan for Progressive Eradication of Child 
Labor, 2000-2010.  The plan was amended and improved in 2006. 
 
b) Has the government made a public statement/commitment to 
eradicate the worst forms of child labor? 
 
The issue of child labor is more of a priority for the 
current government than for past recent governments.  The 
government addresses and discusses the issue, but the laws 
have not changed significantly.  The Morales government 
considers child labor to be a social problem, and there is 
better differentiation between the issues of child labor and 
child exploitation, which the government considers to be 
unacceptable.  The government has made some progress by 
proposing a law which identifies the worst forms of child 
labor, but the specifics of the law have yet to be decided 
and ratified by Congress. 
 
5. Is the country making continual progress toward 
eliminating the worst forms of child labor? 
a) What is the child labor situation in the country, and how 
has it changed over the past year? 
 
While there is more awareness about the issues of child 
exploitation and child labor, the situation has not changed 
significantly over the past year.  Child labor in the areas 
of mining, sugar cane, Brazil nut, and sexual exploitation 
continue to be a significant problem. 
GOLDBERG