GENEVA (ILO News) - The world has moved at a record pace in ratifying an international convention that calls for immediate action to outlaw the worst forms of child labour, says the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The ILO announced today that Estonia had become the latest member State to ratify its Convention on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, bringing the number of ratifications for the international treaty banning the most abusive, exploitative forms of child labour to 100. The ILO has 175 member States.
ILO Convention No. 182 was unanimously adopted two years ago by the International Labour Conference, on 17 June 1999. It first came into force on 19 November 2000 - one year after gaining ratifications from two Member States.
"This historic milestone shows beyond a doubt that the world is uniting to combat the most abusive forms of child labour," said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia. "The world is now closer to achieving the dream of stamping out the worst forms of child labour and giving millions of children a chance to have a better life".
The Director of the ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour, Frans Roselaers added that IPEC's campaign for Convention 182, which has achieved the fastest ratification pace of any convention in the ILO's 82-year history, hopes to achieve the near-universal ratification by the end of the year 2003.
Under the Convention, the worst forms of child labour includes:
- Slavery and practices similar to slavery, such as the sale and trafficking of children, forced or compulsory labour, debt bondage and serfdom;
- Child prostitution or child pornography;
- Use of children in illegal activities, such as drug trafficking;
- Work which is likely to jeopardize the health, safety or morals of children.
The Convention requires ratifying countries to apply the Convention to children under 18 - even where national legislation defines childhood as ending earlier. It also calls on states to take action to prohibit and immediately eliminate the worst forms of child labor; designate monitoring mechanisms; adopt action programmes; ensure effective enforcement; take measures for prevention, removal, rehabilitation and social reintegration of child workers; and take account of the special situation of girls.
Member States must also report regularly to the ILO regarding the application of the Convention and be accountable for allegations of violations. The ILO is assisting ratified countries to fulfill their obligations through IPEC, which works in 70 countries to withdraw children from work, provide them with education and rehabilitation, and provide their families with economic alternatives.
Ratifications of Worst Forms of Child Labour
Convention, 1999 (No. 182)
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Argentina
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Costa Rica
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Estonia
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guyana
Hungary
Iceland
Indonesia
Iraq
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Republic of Korea
Kuwait
Lebanon
Lesotho
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
Luxembourg
Malawi
Malaysia
Mali
Malta
Mauritius
Mexico
Mongolia
Morocco
Namibia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Norway
Oman
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Philippines
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
San Marino
Senegal
Seychelles
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sweden
Switzerland
Tanzania, United Republic of
Thailand
Togo
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Viet Nam
Yemen
Zimbabwe
For more information, contact:
Mr. Robert SanGeorge, tel: 4122/799-6074
Ms. Asha d'Souza, tel: 4122/799-6845
Ms. Donatella Montaldo, tel: 4122/799-6676
E-mail enquiries: childlabour@ilo.org