Region: Central / East Africa Regional Economic Communities (REC): COMESA · EAC · ECCAS

(To be linked)

• COMESA
• EAC
• ECCAS

Burundi’s legal system is a mixed system combining elements of Belgian civil law and customary law.

Key characteristics include:

• The Constitution is the supreme law.
• Legislation, including presidential decrees, has binding authority.
• International treaties must be ratified and incorporated into domestic law.
• Customary law plays an important role, particularly in personal and community matters.

Burundi has been a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO) since 1963.

The country has ratified several ILO conventions, including those relating to:

• Fundamental rights at work
• Freedom of association
• Collective bargaining
• Elimination of the worst forms of child labour

Burundi also implemented a Decent Work Country Programme (DWCP) 2020–2023, aligned with national development strategies.

Burundi’s framework for workers’ rights includes constitutional protections, labour legislation, and international human rights treaties.

Burundi has ratified key instruments including:

• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)
• International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)
• African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)

These instruments recognise rights such as:

• Fair wages
• Safe and healthy working conditions
• Freedom of association
• Collective bargaining

Despite these protections, enforcement challenges remain. Reports frequently highlight:

• Restrictions on freedom of association
• Incidents of forced labour
• Low wages and poor working conditions
• Limited access to justice

Burundi’s social protection system is undergoing reform aimed at:

• Expanding coverage
• Improving coordination of programmes
• Addressing poverty and vulnerability
• Integrating contributory and non-contributory schemes

A major initiative is the creation of a Unified Social Registry, designed to improve targeting of social assistance programmes.

The ILO Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All supports Burundi in extending social protection to informal workers by addressing:

• Legal barriers
• Administrative barriers
• Financial constraints

Burundi has begun aligning labour legislation with international labour standards in order to extend protections to informal workers.

The Labour Code of 2020 forms part of broader labour law reform efforts.

Although a large share of the workforce remains in informal employment — particularly in agriculture — the government is pursuing policies aimed at:

• Integration into formal systems
• Expansion of labour protections
• Improved access to social protection

The Social Protection Code (Act No. 1/12 of 12 May 2020) provides for:

• Financing of non-contributory social protection schemes
• Establishment of a dedicated national social protection fund

Key priorities include:

• Extending social security coverage
• Including workers in rural and informal economies

Burundi

• Labour Code (Act No. 1/11 of 24 November 2020 revising Legislative Decree No. 1/037 of 7 July 1993)

Relations between domestic and informal sector workers and employers are governed by the Labour Code within the limits of specific legislation applicable to them.

The employment and working conditions of domestic servants employed by households are governed by a special law (Art. 3(2) of the Labour Code).

• Act No. 1/18 of 18 May 2022

Ratifies the agreement between the Government of Burundi and the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the recruitment of domestic workers.

Burundi

• Commercial Code (Act No. 1/07 of 26 April 2010)

A street vendor is defined as a retailer who moves from place to place within the national territory for a limited period in order to carry out commercial activity whose turnover does not exceed a threshold determined by ministerial order.

Street vendors:

• Are exempt from registration in the Trade Register
• Must obtain a street vendor identification number from the local authority (Art. 45).

Burundi does not currently have legislation specifically regulating informal waste reclaimers.

However, environmental legislation — including the Environment Code — addresses:

• Waste management
• Pollution prevention
• Hazardous material control

These laws indirectly affect informal waste recovery activities.

Burundi does not have a separate legal framework specifically regulating remote work.

However, the Labour Code recognises home-working contracts where work is performed outside the employer’s premises.

Key features include:

• Contracts must be in writing
• They may be fixed-term or indefinite
• Home workers must receive the same labour protections and social protection as workers employed on company premises.

Ministerial Order No. 620/57 of 20 March 1984

Introduces a medical assistance card available on a voluntary basis to Burundians aged 21 and above working in the self-employed sector.

Social Protection Code (Act No. 1/12 of 12 May 2020)

Defines:

• Insured persons as individuals covered against social risks, including employees and self-employed persons.
• Self-employed persons as freelancers who operate their own economic activities.

The social protection framework includes coverage for members of independent and liberal professions.

Agricultural work in Burundi is governed by a combination of:

• National labour legislation
• Customary land tenure practices

Women often face disadvantages in land ownership and inheritance rights.

The 2020 Labour Code and Social Protection Code aim to improve legal protection and social security coverage for rural workers.

The principal legal framework governing mining in Burundi is:

Mining Code (Act No. 1/19 of 4 August 2023) which amended Act No. 1/21 of 15 October 2013.

The Code regulates:

• Prospecting
• Exploration
• Industrial mining
• Artisanal mining

Important implementing regulations include:

Decree No. 100/193 of 16 June 2015 Mining regulations governing implementation of the Mining Code.

Decree No. 100/224 of 23 November 2023

Regulates:

• Artisanal mining
• Semi-mechanised mining
• Quarry exploitation
• Mineral resource extraction

Self-employed taxi drivers in Burundi are subject to regulations concerning:

• Vehicle registration
• Safety standards
• Municipal licensing requirements

The Ministry of Transport oversees vehicle registration and compliance with operational standards.

Taxi drivers may also fall within broader labour law and social security frameworks applicable to self-employed workers.

Burundi has adopted measures to support and formalise cross-border trade, particularly with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Key initiatives include:

Simplified Trade Regime (STR) Reduces customs barriers and simplifies procedures for small-scale traders.

Joint Border Committees (JBCs) Improve coordination between border authorities and traders.

Bilateral Trade Agreement (April 2022) Between Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, supporting improved cross-border trade governance.

These initiatives particularly benefit small-scale traders and women traders, improving access to regional markets.

• Institutions and Stakeholder Database – Burundi (to be linked)
• IIAG – Burundi (to be linked)
• Worldometer / UN Population Data (to be linked)
• ILO Country Profile and DWCP documentation (to be linked)