exploitation of children. 11 Additionally, Iranian child labour laws do not cover domestic work,
which permits children to work in agriculture and some small businesses from the age of 12.121314
In its 2019 National Report to the Universal Periodic Review, the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Iran stated that “on the basis of the 6th Development Plan Act, the Government is
obliged to […] organize and reduce street children and child laborers.”15 Recent official statistics
have reported 1.5 million child laborers in the Islamic Republic of Iran, while Iranian authorities
have reportedly stated that the number exceeded three million16 and NGOs estimate the number
to be closer to 7 million.1718 Children are reportedly payed significantly less than adults, which
may encourage their employment as cheap labour.19
Within the Islamic Republic of Iran, labour inspectors are tasked with monitoring workplace
conditions, pursuant to the Labour Code and the International Labour Organization Convention
182, 2021 yet private companies have reportedly escaped governmental scrutiny, notably waste
disposal services informally employed by municipal authorities. 22 In 2016, the Committee on the
Rights of the Child raised serious concerns about “the large number of children employed under
hazardous conditions, such as garbage collection, brick kilns and industrial workshops, without
protective clothing and for very low pay”23 in spite of the existence of labour inspectors. A
number of NGOs reported children working in poor and hazardous conditions in the Islamic
Republic of Iran, notably in waste management and often employed by municipality contractors
or city hall staff.24 The Iran Labor News Agency has reported more than 120,000 children are
hired to work at waste management facilities, including recycling centres, which are primarily
11
CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRC%2fC%2fIRN%2fCO%2f34&Lang=en
12
U.S. State Department Human Rights Report 2019, Iran, https://www.state.gov/reports/2019-country-reports-on-human-rightspractices/iran/
13
Financial Tribune, https://financialtribune.com/articles/people/44082/report-to-help-prevent-child-labor
14
See more: Civil society report to the CRC, 2016, Coalition Impact Iran,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=INT%2fCRC%2fNGO%2fIRN%2f19809
&Lang=en
15
National Report, UPR 2019, Islamic Republic of Iran, https://undocs.org/A/HRC/WG.6/34/IRN/1
16
Financial Tribune https://en.radiofarda.com/a/thousands-of-children-forced-to-work-beg-in-the-streets-in-iran/30142546.html
17
Center for Human Rights in Iran, https://iranhumanrights.org/2019/07/fact-sheet-children-in-iran-are-unprotected-from-abuseand-severe-rights-violations/
18
Radio Farda, https://en.radiofarda.com/a/rubbish-children-iran/28713558.html
19
CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRC%2fC%2fIRN%2fCO%2f34&Lang=en
20
CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4, para. 87, https://undocs.org/en/CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4
21
OHCHR Record of the CRC consideration of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s report, 2016,
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16940&LangID=E
22
Center for Human Rights in Iran, https://www.iranhumanrights.org/wp-content/uploads/Days-to-remember-low.pdf
23
CRC/C/IRN/CO/3-4,
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CRC%2fC%2fIRN%2fCO%2f34&Lang=en
24
Radio Farda, https://en.radiofarda.com/a/rubbish-children-iran/28713558.html
2