COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RIGHTS CONTINUES CONSIDERATION OF INITIAL REPORT OF BOLIVIA

CESCR
25th session
2 May 2001
Afternoon




The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights this afternoon continued its review of the initial report of Bolivia on how that country was implementing the rights enshrined in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

A Bolivian Government delegation, answering questions posed by Committee Experts, spoke about a wide array of issues, ranging from efforts to eradicate cocoa growing to the country's labour laws.

The cocoa leaf, the delegation said, was a crop that was not traditionally used extensively -- it was used solely by a small part of the aristocratic society. But when drug trafficking began, cultivation spread to other areas. It was in those areas that the Government now was aiming to destroy the cocoa crops. There was a programme that was trying to eradicate cocoa growing. It was hard to give people alternative crops that would make them an equal amount of money, although the international community was helping with efforts to grow bananas and pineapples.

The delegation said the Government had the mechanisms and machinery in place to prevent and avoid abuses in child labour. Bolivia had ratified the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, and had also ratified an ILO Convention on the minimum age of employment. The Government was working on ratifying ILO Convention 182. Actions were also being proposed domestically to end the worst forms of child labour.

In Bolivia, all citizens had a right to work, the delegation said. There was a labour inspection body, in which there was a national director and regional inspectors. The body ensured that labour laws were respected. These inspections ensured that places of work were in compliance with the law on occupational health and safety. Training was provided to reduce professional illnesses and injuries.


Repeatedly hurting the country, the delegation said, was a previous lack of a civil service. There had been a perverse tradition in the last 50 years of sacking every government official when a new government took office. Every Government took two years reinventing the wheel. There was no career civil service. Nothing had to do with merit -- everything was from the party system. A new law was implemented to create a civil service. These workers were absolutely outside party politics.

The Committee will meet again at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 3 May to conclude its review of the initial report of Bolivia.

Discussion

Responding to questions asked by Committee Experts, the delegation said cocoa leaf was a traditional crop. It was not extensively used traditionally -- it was used solely by a small part of aristocratic society. After the conquest of America, cocoa use became far more widespread. With drug trafficking, the extensive cultivation spread to other areas. It was in those areas that the Government was aiming to destroy the cocoa crops. There was a programme that was trying to eradicate cocoa growing now. It was hard to give people alternative crops that would make them an equal amount of money, although the international community was helping with efforts to grow bananas and pineapples.

The delegation said there was no discrimination in the allocation of resources. Each local municipality was able to distribute resources as they saw fit.

The office of the Under-Secretary of Gender Affairs was important. It organized and coordinated conferences and seminars, and provided training for trainers and teachers. Gender affairs was a subject that needed further emphasis, and would in the future have a higher profile.

Problems of forced labour and slavery concerns were exaggerated, the delegation said. In 1952 land rights were granted and this problem was done away with. There were huge social problems and a huge economic crises in Bolivia, but despite these problems, the Government and the people had sought a peaceful way to resolve this, through discussions and dialogue. There was no discrimination, and no forced labour.

When it came to children, the delegation said, the mechanisms and machinery were in existence to prevent and avoid abuse. Bolivia had ratified the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, and had also ratified an ILO Convention on the minimum age of employment. The Government was working on ratifying ILO Convention 182. Actions were also being proposed domestically to end the worst forms of child labour.

In Bolivia, all citizens had a right to work, the delegation said. There was a labour inspection body, in which there was a national director and regional inspectors. The body ensured that labour laws were respected. These inspections ensured that places of work were in compliance with the law on occupational health and safety. Training was provided to reduce professional illnesses and injuries.

There had been a social and economic study on prices, the delegation said. The minimum salary covered basic needs.


The Government recognized the right to join free trade unions, the delegation said. Non-salaried workers were not able to join labour unions, however, because they were not covered by the labour laws. But they were generally indigenous peoples, and belonged to peasant organizations. Foreign workers were able to join unions, but could not be elected as delegates. There were limitations to the right to strike in the laws, but there was no limit in practice.

In Bolivia, there was a perverse tradition in the last 50 years of sacking every government official when a new government took office, the delegation said. Every Government took two years reinventing the wheel. There was no career civil service. Nothing had to do with merit -- everything was from the party system. A new law was implemented to create a civil service. These workers were absolutely outside party politics.

The delegation said Bolivia had made larger strides in literacy rates than any other country in the region in the 1990s. There were also improvements in access to health care and access to clean drinking water. Unemployment had dropped. These improvements showed progress.

Clearly, the situation in the country was severe, the delegation said. Basically, the country lost $ 800 million that went into the cocaine industry. It was the only country in the history of mankind to suffer the full scourge of drug trafficking. The economy suffered more when crude oil prices went up, and agricultural productivity went down. There were sweeping economic crises throughout Latin America. That led to indirect layoffs.

Regarding the minimum wage, the delegation said it was fixed according to a certain formula. The formula had to end in the basic household shopping basket cost. It was based on an average four-member family. There was a labour structure in the country, with a Ministry of Labour and labour judges in the courts. These structures provided protection for workers.

Social security in Bolivia was included in the Constitution, the delegation said. Laws protected several spheres of it -- there was a basic statute guaranteeing health, and there was mother and child care insurance.



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