Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

List of issues in relation to the initial report of Guinea‑Bissau *

1.The State Party is invited to submit in writing the information requested below (preferably not exceeding 10,700 words) by 30 April 2026 .

A.General information

2.Please provide information on how the legislature was involved in the development of the initial report.

3.Please provide information on measures taken by the State Party with regard to the mitigation of climate change, including specific measures, and the impact thereof, to meet the nationally determined contributions for reducing emissions that the State Party has set itself under the Paris Agreement. Please also provide information on the progress made in reducing per capita greenhouse gas emissions and on targets that the State Party has set for further reductions. With respect to climate change adaptation policies and measures, please provide information on:

(a)How the State Party assesses the impacts of climate change on the enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights, particularly for marginalized and disadvantaged individuals and groups;

(b)Whether the State Party has developed or plans to develop a national adaptation plan, with an adequate allocation of all required resources, to address the impacts of climate change on, inter alia, economic, social and cultural rights;

(c)Measures taken to strengthen preparedness for and responses to natural disasters, disaster risk reduction measures and measures taken to adopt a strategy to this end, with an adequate allocation of financial resources;

(d)Which institutions are tasked with the development and implementation of climate change adaptation measures and policies for slow-onset impacts in different areas, such as agriculture, housing and health, and how coordination among the institutions responsible for disaster preparedness and management is ensured.

B. Issues relating to the general provisions of the Covenant (arts. 1–5)

Right to freely dispose of natural wealth and resources (art. 1 (2))

4.With reference to paragraphs 8, 60 and 61 of the State Party report, please provide information on the legal provisions and legal status of the customary land regime (tchon) and measures taken, as well as the impact thereof, to incorporate that regime into positive law, including human rights law.

Maximum available resources (art. 2 (1))

5.Please provide updated information on the evolution of the following, covering the past 10 years:

(a)The population structure, the proportion of young people and the proportion of the population living below the nationally defined poverty line;

(b)Levels of inequality, before and after taxes and transfers, if possible defined as the ratio between the total income of the richest 10 per cent of the population and the total income of the poorest 40 per cent and as the ratio between the assets owned by the richest 10 per cent of the population and the assets owned by the poorest 50 per cent;

(c)The economy, in particular through the annual variations of gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita and the level of public debt in proportion to GDP;

(d)The proportion of public revenue generated through taxes and as a percentage of GDP, the proportion of public revenue obtained through direct and indirect taxes, the corporate tax revenue rate and the percentage of total revenue generated from personal tax collected on the incomes of the richest 10 per cent of the population, as well as provide an evaluation of the amount of tax evasion and tax avoidance and the fiscal cost of the main tax benefits;

(e)Public expenditure as a percentage of GDP and, within total public expenditure, the proportion of the public budget allocated to social spending, including social security, food, water and sanitation, housing, health and education.

6.Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to prevent and eliminate impunity and corruption, including information on the status of the implementation of the national strategy to combat corruption. Please also provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to protect whistle-blowers and to ensure a safe environment for anti-corruption activists.

Non-discrimination (art. 2 (2))

7.Please provide information on any steps taken to draft a comprehensive anti-discrimination bill. Please also provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to combat stigma, stereotypes and harmful practices against persons with disabilities, persons affected by HIV and AIDS, persons with non-traditional sexual orientations and gender identities and other marginalized groups within the State Party. Please also provide information on specific legal and policy measures taken, and the impact thereof, to protect persons with albinism.

8.Please provide detailed information on the instruments adopted to ensure equal access to the health sector without discrimination. Please provide additional information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to improve accessibility for persons with disabilities.

Equal rights of men and women (art. 3)

9.Please provide further information on the development of legislation and measures taken, as well as the impact thereof, to address discrimination against women. Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to guarantee women’s access to justice and representation in the justice systemand in the civil service.

10.With reference to paragraph 243 of the State Party report, please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to address the negative impacts of customary practices, including those regarding women living in rural areas and those concerning land tenure.

11.Paragraph 108 of the State Party report indicates that women lack awareness of how to safeguard their rights. Please provide information on measures taken or efforts made to raise such awareness.

C. Issues relating to the specific provisions of the Covenant (arts. 6–15)

Right to work (art. 6)

12.Please provide information and data on the impact of the employment and training programmes currently in place in the State Party. Please provide information on the development and future implementation of policies aimed at regulating the informal economy, including those focusing on women.

13.According to paragraph 118 of the State Party report, men are underemployed compared with women. Please provide information on any analysis on thisphenomenon and efforts made to improve the employment rate of men.

14.Please provide additional information on the mechanisms in place, and the impact thereof, to develop article 364 of the Civil Code, which protects pregnant women from unjustified dismissal, as mentioned in paragraph 132 of the State Party report. With reference to paragraph 147 of the State Party report, please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to align maternity and paternity benefits for civil servants with those set out in the Labour Code.

Right to just and favourable conditions of work (art. 7)

15.According to paragraph 137 of the State Party report, there are two wage systems in place in the State Party (one for the civil service and one for the private sector). P lease provide information on any development of legislation or policy measures pertaining to the establishment of a standardized minimum wage. Please also provide information on the implementation of legislation for the protection of workers against unfair dismissal, as well as information on mechanisms within the State Party tasked with safeguarding workers against unfair dismissal, including those pertaining to maternity protections.

16.With reference to paragraphs 128 and 151 of the State Party report, please provide information on the status of the preliminary draft of the law on hygiene, health and safety in the workplace. Please also provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to implement the International Labour Organization conventions ratified by the State Party, as referred to in paragraph 117 of the State Party report.

Trade union rights (art. 8)

17.Please provide information on the absolute and relative participation levels of workers in unions, as well as information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to protect trade union members from intimidation, harassment and arbitrary arrest. Please provide additional information regarding the solution of labour disputes and the implementation of the right to strike.

Right to social security (art. 9)

18.Please provide information on the status of development of the social security system mentioned in paragraph 174 of the State Party report.Please provide additional, detailed information regarding the social security system’s coverage and the State Party’s contribution, including data on the persons, such as domestic workers and persons working in the informal economy, covered by the various social security schemes, disaggregated by gender, age, disability status and urban and rural areas.

Protection of the family and children (art. 10)

19.Please provide information on the tasks, responsibilities and goals of the Institute for Women and Children, referred to in paragraph 200 of the State Party report. Pleaseprovide updated and detailed information on the status of the National Plan to Combat Child Labour and the Code for the Comprehensive Protection of Children, referred in paragraphs 128 and 190 of the State Party report,including the mechanisms for their implementation.

20.Please provide information on the derogations for the prohibition of child labour and the conditions therefor, as mentioned in paragraph 188 of the State Party report. Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to eradicate the worst forms of child labour and the sexual exploitation of and trafficking in children.Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to rehabilitate victims of trafficking in persons and prosecute offenders.

21.Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to address the detrimental effects of customary practices and traditional beliefs, including child and early marriage, female gender mutilation and domestic violence.

Right to an adequate standard of living (art. 11)

22.Please provide updated and detailed information on the impact of the programmes currently in place aimed at combating poverty, including the national development plan and the Terra Ranka strategic operational plan referred to in paragraphs 226–229 of the State Party report.Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to address food insecurity and malnutrition across the State Party, as well as updated information on measures taken to further increase access to safe drinking water,sanitation and hygiene and bridge the gap in such access between urban and rural areas.

23.Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to ensure access to affordable and adequate housing, including for the most vulnerable individuals, and to reduce the number of persons living in unhealthy and unsafe conditions.

Right to physical and mental health (art. 12)

24.Please provide updated data and information on the impact of the national plans for reducing the stillbirth rate, infant mortality and maternal mortality, as well as for preventing, treating and controlling malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, diarrhoeal diseases and acute respiratory infections, as mentioned in paragraphs 281, 282 and 327 of the State Party report. With reference to paragraphs 333–335 of the State Party report, please also provide information on the impact of measures taken to guarantee the accessibility of medicines, including the National Health Policy 2017, the National Pharmaceutical Policy and the National Strategic Plan for Medicines and other Essential Health Products.

25.Please provide updated information regarding the status of the National Reproductive Health Programme, as well as any additional measures taken, and the impact thereof,to increase the provision and quality of sexual and reproductive health services and programmes, including through educational programmes targeting women and young persons.

Right to education (arts. 13 and 14)

26.Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to ensure universal, compulsory and available primary education, as well as to reduce drop-out rates in primary and secondary education and to increase the level of attainment. Please also provide information on the Education Sector Plan, referred to in paragraph 352 of the State Party report, and the 10-year development programme for the education sector, referred to in paragraphs 366 and 367 of the report, as well as the impact thereof.

27.Many problems and difficulties relating to the right to education are referred to in the State Party report. Among them, the problem relating to teachers’ qualifications seems more serious than the overcrowded classrooms and lack of facilities referred to in paragraph74of the report. It is indicated in paragraph 345 of the report that teachers are unable to answer students’ questionscorrectly and do not understand what they are teaching. Please provide information on measures taken or efforts made to address this issue.

Cultural rights (art. 15)

28.Please provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to encourage participation and access to cultural life for all individuals throughout the State Party. Please provide updated information on the development of the draft laws on copyright and cultural heritage referred to in paragraphs 375 and 379 of the State Party report. Please also provide information on measures taken, and the impact thereof, to guarantee equal access to technology, including the improvement of Internet coverage and affordable access to the Internet, including for disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups, as well as improved Internet access in rural and remote areas.