Child Labor and Forced Labor Reports

Ukraine

Amber
Amber
Child Labor Icon
Coal
Coal
Child Labor Icon
Pornography
Pornography
Child Labor Icon
Cigarettes (tobacco)
Cigarettes (tobacco)
IPCL
IPFL
Ukraine
2023 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor:

Minimal Advancement – Efforts Made but Continued Law that Delayed Advancement

In 2023, Ukraine made minimal advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Despite the ongoing aggression and territorial incursions made by Russia against Ukraine, the Ukrainian government continued to make efforts to address child labor and exploitation. The government adopted the 2023–2025 National Action Plan to counter human trafficking, which aims to improve anti-human trafficking efforts, including by monitoring institutionalized Ukrainian children evacuated abroad for human trafficking indicators. The Office of the Prosecutor General established a specialized unit consisting of five prosecutors focused exclusively on prosecuting human trafficking-related cases, including child trafficking. However, despite new initiatives to address child labor, Ukraine is assessed as having made only minimal advancement because it failed to remedy Order No. 303 of 2022, which prohibits labor inspectors from conducting routine or targeted inspections while martial law is in force. The State Labor Service is also only able to conduct unannounced inspections if they met three specific criteria: (1) informal employment, (2) legality of employment contracts suspension and termination, and (3) observance of wartime labor regulations surrounding schedules, paid leave, and other contractual issues. These limitations on inspections may leave potential violations of child labor laws and other labor abuses undetected in workplaces. Further, Ukrainian laws do not meet international standards for the prohibition of commercialized sexual exploitation because they do not criminalize the users of commercial sex involving children. In addition, the government does not have a coordinating mechanisms or policies to address all forms of child labor, including in hazardous work in mining, agriculture, and street work. The government does not have the opportunity to carry out law enforcement, coordinate efforts, and implement its policies and social programs to address child labor in the Russia-occupied territories.

Want this report plus over a thousand pages of research in the palm of
your hand? Download ILAB's Sweat & Toil App today!