Human Trafficking in [ROC] [other countries]Street Children in [ROC] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [ROC] [other countries] |
Child Prostitution The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children Republic of the Congo (ROC) [ Country-by-Country
Reports ] The Republic of the Congo (ROC) [map], is located in W
central Africa and is bordered by Gabon (W), by Cameroon and the Central
African Republic (N); by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (E & SE);
and by Cabinda and the Atlantic Ocean (SW). Brazzaville is its capital and largest
city. The Republic of Congo was once
one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it
will need new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long
term. The economy is a mixture of
subsistence agriculture, an industrial sector based largely on oil, and
support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and
overstaffing. The current
administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult
economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. Recovery of
oil prices has boosted the economy's GDP and near-term prospects. In March
2006, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
approved Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC)
treatment for Congo. Congo hosts about
63,000 refugees from neighboring states, primarily from the Pool border area
of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. |
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CAUTION: The following links and
accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation
in the Republic of the Congo (ROC). Some of these links may lead to websites that present
allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even false. No attempt has been made to validate their
authenticity or to verify their content. U.S. Dept
of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs [PDF] INCIDENCE AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Children work with their
families on farms or in informal business activities.1122 In Brazzaville and other
urban centers, there are significant numbers of street children, primarily
from the neighboring Democratic Republic of the Congo, who engage in street
vending and begging. There were isolated cases of children involved in
commercial sexual exploitation.1123 There are unconfirmed accounts of
trafficking into the Republic of Congo of “minor relatives” of immigrants
from West Africa.1124 Children from West Africa reportedly work as domestic
servants, fishermen, shop workers, and street sellers. Bur of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor - Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2006 CHILDREN - There were isolated cases of
child prostitution among street children. The prevalence of the problem
remained unclear. According to reports from international and local NGOs and
other observers, these cases were not linked to trafficking but were efforts
by some street children to survive. International organizations assisted with
programs to feed and shelter street children. Concluding
Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2006 [DOC] [81] While welcoming the study on the sexual
exploitation of children which is being conducted with UNICEF’s support, the
Committee expresses concern at sexual harassment in schools. It is also
concerned at the fact that sexual exploitation of children is a widespread
practice. The Committee is also concerned at the fact that the Portella Law prohibiting the presence of children in bars
and night clubs is not enforced. [83] While noting that the State party has ratified the
Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the
Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others on 25 August 1977, the Committee
is concerned at the absence of legislation prohibiting trafficking in
persons, particularly children. Concluding
Observations of the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights 21. The Committee expresses its
grave concern regarding the decline of the standard of health in the Republic
of the Congo. The AIDS epidemic is now taking its toll on the country, while
the ongoing financial crisis has resulted in a serious shortage of funds for
public health services, and for improving the water and sanitation
infrastructure in urban areas. The war has caused serious damage to health
facilities in Brazzaville. According to a joint study of the WHO and UNAIDS, some 100,000 Congolese, including over 5,000
children, were affected with the HIV virus at the beginning of 1997. More
than 80,000 people are thought to have died from AIDS, with 11,000 deaths
reported in 1997 alone. Some 45,000 children are said to have lost either
their mother or both parents as a result of the epidemic. The
Protection Project - Republic of the Congo (ROC) [DOC] FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE
TRAFFICKING INFRASTRUCTURE - By 2010, an estimated 20 million children under the age of 15 in
Sub-Saharan Africa will have lost one or both parents from HIV/AIDS. Those
children are left extremely vulnerable to trafficking for forced labor,
forced prostitution, or forced combat. The economic collapse of the
1990s, coupled with the rise in households headed by females, may have
contributed to an increase in informal prostitution. ECPAT:
Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for Action [DOC] [page 59] – REPUBLIC OF CONGO – The Republic of Congo has not yet developed a plan on CSEC. Due to
instability in the country, children’s issues have not been seen as a
priority. However, the NGO Centre Congolais pour la
Promotion et la Défense des Droits
de L’Enfant (CPDE)
reports that one of its activities has been to lobby stakeholders, especially
Parliament, to start work on the development of a national plan against CSEC.
Although CSEC is reported to be a
very visible and increasing problem in Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, it seems
that nothing is being done to tackle it. According to CPDE,
there is no cooperation on CSEC issues, no adequate child protection
measures, and a lack of rehabilitation and reintegration services for
victims. The NGO is reported to be the only one working on CSEC in the
country All material used herein
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Human Trafficking in [ROC] [other countries]Street Children in [ROC] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [ROC] [other countries]