Belgium ratifies ILO Convention on violence and harassment in the world of work
Belgium becomes the 30th country in the world, and the sixth in the European Union, to ratify Convention No. 190.
On 13 June 2023, Belgium deposited the instrument of ratification of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), with the Director-General of the ILO. By depositing the instrument of ratification, Belgium becomes the 30th country in the world, and the sixth country in the European Union, to ratify Convention No. 190.
The first international labour standard to deal with violence and harassment in the world of work, Convention No. 190, together with Recommendation No. 206, provides a common tripartite framework for action and a unique opportunity to shape a future based on social justice and decent work. Indeed, these two instruments are essential to achieving the goals set by the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, adopted the same year, and, more recently, those set by the ILO Global Call to Action for an inclusive, sustainable and resilient people-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
The Convention affirms that everyone has the right to a world of work free from violence and harassment and provides the first internationally recognised definition of violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment. The protection offered by the Convention applies to all persons in the world of work and to persons exercising the authority, functions or responsibilities of an employer. It covers the public and private sectors, the formal and informal economy, and urban and rural areas.
The Convention requires ratifying Member States to adopt, in consultation with representative employers' and workers' organizations, an inclusive, integrated and gender-sensitive approach to preventing and eliminating violence and harassment, including protection, prevention, monitoring and appropriate remedies, as well as guidance, training and awareness-raising measures.
Depositing the official instrument of ratification at the ceremony held at the ILO in Geneva, Mr Dermagne, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy and Labour, said: "The unprecedented crises we are going through and their particularly severe social consequences, persistent inequalities, technological changes and changes in work organization increase the risk of violence and harassment. The objective of achieving a world of work free from violence and harassment is, in this context, a perilous one, but essential if we are to continue our fight for human dignity, decent work and social justice. We will achieve this objective by involving all the players in the world of work and through social dialogue. The importance of implementing prevention and awareness-raising policies, as emphasised in Convention 190, to combat violence and harassment at work seems more relevant than ever.
In receiving the instrument of ratification of Convention No. 190, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo recalled the significant role played by Belgium in the preliminary discussions on these issues at the 2016 Meeting of Experts and in the discussion of instruments on violence and harassment at the International Labour Conference in 2018 and 2019. He also said, "By ratifying Convention No. 190, Belgium is reaffirming its firm commitment to creating a world of work free from violence and harassment, based on dignity, equality and respect for all so that no one is left behind." To date, Belgium has ratified 114 conventions and 2 protocols (77 of which are in force). For more information, consult the NORMLEX database.
The first international labour standard to deal with violence and harassment in the world of work, Convention No. 190, together with Recommendation No. 206, provides a common tripartite framework for action and a unique opportunity to shape a future based on social justice and decent work. Indeed, these two instruments are essential to achieving the goals set by the ILO Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work, adopted the same year, and, more recently, those set by the ILO Global Call to Action for an inclusive, sustainable and resilient people-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.
The Convention affirms that everyone has the right to a world of work free from violence and harassment and provides the first internationally recognised definition of violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence and harassment. The protection offered by the Convention applies to all persons in the world of work and to persons exercising the authority, functions or responsibilities of an employer. It covers the public and private sectors, the formal and informal economy, and urban and rural areas.
The Convention requires ratifying Member States to adopt, in consultation with representative employers' and workers' organizations, an inclusive, integrated and gender-sensitive approach to preventing and eliminating violence and harassment, including protection, prevention, monitoring and appropriate remedies, as well as guidance, training and awareness-raising measures.
Depositing the official instrument of ratification at the ceremony held at the ILO in Geneva, Mr Dermagne, Belgium's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy and Labour, said: "The unprecedented crises we are going through and their particularly severe social consequences, persistent inequalities, technological changes and changes in work organization increase the risk of violence and harassment. The objective of achieving a world of work free from violence and harassment is, in this context, a perilous one, but essential if we are to continue our fight for human dignity, decent work and social justice. We will achieve this objective by involving all the players in the world of work and through social dialogue. The importance of implementing prevention and awareness-raising policies, as emphasised in Convention 190, to combat violence and harassment at work seems more relevant than ever.
In receiving the instrument of ratification of Convention No. 190, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo recalled the significant role played by Belgium in the preliminary discussions on these issues at the 2016 Meeting of Experts and in the discussion of instruments on violence and harassment at the International Labour Conference in 2018 and 2019. He also said, "By ratifying Convention No. 190, Belgium is reaffirming its firm commitment to creating a world of work free from violence and harassment, based on dignity, equality and respect for all so that no one is left behind." To date, Belgium has ratified 114 conventions and 2 protocols (77 of which are in force). For more information, consult the NORMLEX database.