ILO’s International Legal Framework on Labour Migration

The International Legal Framework guiding ILO’s Labour Migration and Labour Mobility Work is mainly composed of four migrant workers’ International Labour Standards (ILS), five specific ILS related to migrant workers’ social protection, six ILS containing specific provisions on migrant workers, the eight Fundamental Conventions that apply to all migrant workers irrespective of migration status, and the four Governance Conventions underlined by the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization and its follow-up.
  1. Four migrant workers’ International Labour Standards

    1. In Africa, ILO’s Convention No. 97 has been ratified by 11 Member States: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Tanzania Zanzibar, and Zambia.
    2. In the African Continent, ILO’s Convention No. 143 has been ratified by 8 Member States: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Togo, and Uganda.
    3. Sierra Leone is in the process of depositing the instrument of ratification of both Conventions.
    4. The 2016 “Promoting Fair Migration, General Survey concerning the migrant workers instruments, Report of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations” identified the following countries in Africa as having reported intention to consider ratification : Algeria (C. 143), Benin (C. 97), Senegal (both), Sudan (both), Uganda (C. 97).
      1. The Government of Sudan reported that it was currently considering ratification of the two Conventions;
      2. The Government of Benin indicated that ratification of Convention No. 97 would be included in the annual workplan for 2016 of the General Labour Directorate, and ILO technical support would be appreciated in this regard;
      3. The Government of Uganda (in relation to Convention No. 97) indicated that the instruments were among those identified to be considered for ratification.
      4. The Government of Senegal (in relation to both Conventions) stated that the possibility of ratification was being studied.
      5. The Government of Algeria stated that, with respect to the ratification of Convention No. 143, the issue required reflection in order to harmonize the labour migration governance scheme.
  2. Specific International Labour Standards related to migrant workers’ social protection

  3. International Labour Standards containing specific provisions on migrant workers

    • Particularly Recommendation 205 Sections X. Migrants affected by crisis situations; and XI. Refugees and returnees.
  4. The eight Fundamental Conventions that apply to all migrant workers irrespective of migration status

  5. The four Governance Conventions underlined by the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization and its follow-up