A/HRC/45/8/Add.1
labour, as it is a factor preventing prosecution of criminal cases related to child
trafficking.
104. The Government of Togo needs to urgently and significantly step up its action
to eliminate all forms of child labour by 2025 as per its commitments made under the
Sustainable Development Goals, specifically target 8.7 which requires Governments to
“take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern
slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst
forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end
child labour in all its forms”. Also, implementation of target 5.3 on eliminating all
harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage, should also be considered
a matter of priority by the Government of Togo.
105. The Special Rapporteur witnessed the fact that Togo faces a number of
complex and cross-cutting challenges that compound the vulnerability of individuals,
particularly children, to contemporary forms of slavery. The challenges include
resource constraints, the weak enforcement of laws, difficulties in providing universal
coverage of services throughout the country, low levels of community engagement,
limited access to information suited to the needs of children and adolescents, the
persistence of harmful social norms and traditional practices, and generalized
patterns of discrimination, including on the basis of gender, sex, age and disability.
106. In spite of the numerous efforts made over the past years, the overall response
of the Government of Togo to child labour, including in its worst forms, continues to
be fragmented and inadequate. Legislative and policy gaps persist in the national
protection system.
107. The multifaceted nature of the worst forms of child labour requires stronger
collaboration and cooperation between government agencies, as well as closer
involvement by civil society actors, the business sector, religious leaders and other
stakeholders. Furthermore, to achieve sustainable change, the mindset of some
segments of Togolese society needs to change. Currently, child labour, often conducted
through the confiage system, continues to enjoy strong social acceptance.
108. The development approach of Togo should be revisited and brought into line
with international human rights standards and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Also, the allocation of additional financial and human resources is required in order
to address the root causes of the economic exploitation of highly vulnerable children.44
To this end, poverty eradication, education and gender equality should be the focus of
renewed attention and action by the Government.
109. The Government must also step up its actions to fulfil its commitments with
regard to data collection in order to measure progress against specific indicators
related to Sustainable Development Goals targets 8.7 and 5.3. Generally, the national
statistical system lacks adequate capacity and resources to produce accurate,
systematic, centralized and disaggregated data. Although various agencies seem to be
collecting various sets of data related to the worst forms of child labour, trafficking of
children, violence against children and child marriage, the data are not
comprehensive and systematic.
110. The Special Rapporteur recognizes the difficulties in this area because of the
hidden nature of child labour, which often takes place in informal sectors, such as in
the domestic sector through confiage. Therefore, labour inspections should be
strengthened in the informal sector, including the domestic sector, and inspectors
should be trained to effectively identify domestic servitude and other contemporary
forms of slavery.
111. The Special Rapporteur was encouraged by the constructive dialogue with the
authorities throughout her visit and hopes that the Government’s assurances with
regard to the existence of political commitment will translate into concrete actions to
44
CRC/C/TGO/CO/3-4, para. 18 (c).
17
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