====== Somalia ====== **Region:** Eastern Africa **Regional Economic Communities (REC):** CEN-SAD · COMESA · EAC · IGAD → [[https://iiag.online/locations/so.html|View IIAG Country Statistics]] ---- ^ Indicator ^ Data ^ | **Governance (IIAG)** | Overall Governance score: 25.5 / 100 · Rank: 53rd / 54 | ---- ===== PART 1 – HIGH-LEVEL COUNTRY MAPPING ===== ==== Institutions and Stakeholder Database ==== (To be linked) ---- ==== REC Membership ==== * CEN-SAD * COMESA * EAC * IGAD ---- ==== Population size and size of the informal economy ==== Somalia’s population is estimated at approximately **19.7 million** (2025). The informal economy is dominant: * Approximately **82.5% of employment is informal** Key sectors include: * Livestock trade * Telecommunications * Remittance-based activities **Regulatory note:** The informal economy functions as a **primary survival system**, rather than a marginal sector. ---- ==== Nature of the legal system and ILO status ==== Somalia has a **plural legal system**, combining: * Statutory law * Islamic law (Sharia) * Customary law (Xeer) Somalia has been a member of the **International Labour Organization (ILO) since 1960**. The **Decent Work Country Programme (2023–2025)** focuses on: * Institutional reconstruction * Employment creation * Economic development * Strengthening governance structures ---- ==== Workers’ rights in human rights system, national labour law / social protection and scope of protection ==== Somalia’s labour framework is centred on the **Labour Code of 1972**, which: * Provides for: * Weekly rest * Maternity leave * Collective bargaining * Prohibition of forced labour and child labour However: * Enforcement capacity is **extremely limited** * Labour institutions remain **underdeveloped** * Social dialogue structures are weak Trade union rights formally exist, but: * Representative organisations are fragmented * Tripartite systems are not fully operational **Regulatory note:** Strong “rights on paper”, but **severe enforcement deficit**. ---- ==== Existing laws, policy and regulatory initiatives for the protection of workers in the informal economy ==== **National Employment Policy (2019)** * Recognises the need to: * Strengthen labour institutions * Support informal sector workers * Develop representative organisations **Somali National Tripartite Consultative Committee (SNTCC)** * Emerging platform for social dialogue **Regulatory note:** Policy recognition exists, but implementation remains limited. ---- ===== PART 2 – SECTOR SPECIFIC REGULATION ===== ---- ==== Domestic Work Sector ==== * No specific legislation governing domestic workers * General labour law applies (1972 Labour Code) Key issues: * Lack of formal contracts * Irregular wages * No social protection coverage * High vulnerability to exploitation A new draft Labour Code is under development but not yet enacted. **Regulatory note:** Regulatory vacuum with high vulnerability. ---- ==== Street Vendor ==== Regulation is primarily **municipal and informal**. Key features: * Local authorities regulate permits and locations * Constitutional basis for municipal control * Zoning and location restrictions Requirements: * Permits issued by municipalities * Business registration (for formal operations) Challenges: * Weak legal protection * Harassment and confiscation of goods * Unclear regulatory framework **Regulatory note:** Highly decentralised and inconsistent regulation. ---- ==== Waste Reclaiming ==== Somalia lacks a comprehensive legal framework. Recent developments: * **Environmental Protection and Management Act (2024)** * Oversight by Directorate of Environment and Climate Change Emerging initiatives: * Recycling projects * Community waste sorting * Ban on single-use plastics **Regulatory note:** Sector is in **early-stage regulatory development**. ---- ==== Home working ==== * No specific legislation on remote work * Labour Code (1972) does not address home-based work **Regulatory note:** No formal recognition of remote work. ---- ==== Gig Work and the Platform Economy ==== No specific legal framework exists. Applicable structures: * General labour law (limited relevance) * Business registration system (SBRS, 2022) Key issues: * No worker classification framework * No social protection coverage * No platform-specific regulation Relevant frameworks: * Foreign Investment Law (2015) * Basic labour protections **Regulatory note:** High legal uncertainty and regulatory gaps. ---- ==== Farm Work ==== Regulated under: * Labour Code (1972) * Provisional Constitution (2012) * Foreign Employment Act (2015) Key protections: * Prohibition of forced labour * Minimum age provisions Challenges: * Weak enforcement * Child labour risks * Poor working conditions **Regulatory note:** Agricultural sector remains highly informal and underregulated. ---- ==== Mining Sector and Artisanal Mining ==== Current situation: * Outdated **1984 Mining Code** * New **Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Bill (2023/2025)** pending enactment Proposed reforms: * Establish Somalia Mining Authority * Formalise artisanal mining * Attract foreign investment Current reality: * Legal grey area * Limited regulation of artisanal mining **Regulatory note:** Transition phase toward formalisation. ---- ==== Taxi and Transport Sector (Gig-work/platform economy overlap) ==== * No detailed sector-specific legislation * General business registration required Constraints: * Weak infrastructure * Security challenges * Fragmented governance **Regulatory note:** Sector shaped more by **security conditions than regulation**. ---- ==== Cross-Border Informal Trade ==== Highly informal and largely unregulated. Key features: * Governed by informal systems and local practices * Limited state oversight Some measures: * Ministry of Trade allows small-scale trade under value thresholds **Regulatory note:** Informal trade operates largely outside formal legal frameworks. ---- ===== Sources / Links ===== * IIAG – Somalia: https://iiag.online/locations/so.html * Somalia National Employment Policy (2019) * Somalia Labour Code (1972) * Environmental Protection Act (2024)