2004 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - British Virgin Islands (territory of the United Kingdom)

Bureau of International Labor Affairs, 2004 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - British Virgin Islands (territory of the United Kingdom), United States Department of Labor, 22 September 2005, https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/usdol/2005/en/62121 [accessed 03 October 2024]
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There is limited information regarding the extent and nature of child labor and the quality and provision of education in non-independent countries and territories eligible for GSP, AGOA, and CBTPA benefits. These countries and territories generally are not eligible to become members of the ILO, so ILO Conventions 138 and 182 do not apply to any of them.[4357] Territories are subject to laws of the sovereign country.

Statistics on the number of working children under the age of 15 in the British Virgin Islands are unavailable,[4363] but children reportedly work occasionally during the afternoons and on weekends in family-owned businesses, supermarkets, and hotels.[4364] Under the Education Ordinance, children must attend school until the age of 14.[4365] In 2002, the gross primary enrollment rate was 109 percent, and the net primary enrollment rate was 94 percent.[4366] Gross and net enrollment ratios are based on the number of students formally registered in primary school and therefore do not necessarily reflect actual school attendance. Recent primary school attendance statistics are not available for the British Virgin Islands. The Labor Standards set the minimum age for employment at 14 years.[4367] The government has set up a Complaints Commission to handle complaints of violations of children's rights.[4368]

[4357] ILO official, electronic communication to USDOL official, January 31, 2002. Most of the areas covered in this summary report are considered by the ILO to be non-metropolitan territories and therefore, are ineligible to become members of the ILO. An ILO member can submit a declaration to the ILO requesting that these conventions apply to their non-metropolitan territories. See Constitution; available from http://www.ilo.org/public/english/about/iloconst.htm.

[4363] ILO, LABORSTAT.

[4364] Sheila Brathwaite, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour, letter to USDOL official, September 14, 2000.

[4365] Ibid.

[4366] UNESCO Institute for Statistics, Global Education Digest 2004.

[4367] Brathwaite, letter, September 14, 2002.

[4368] Committee on the Rights of the Child, Consideration of Reports Submitted by States Parties Under Article 44 of the Convention: Concluding Observations, CRC/C/15/Add.135, Geneva, October 16, 2000; available from http://www.unhchr.ch/tbs/doc.nsf/(Symbol)/CRC.C.15.Add.135.En?OpenDocum….

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