GENEVA – (ILO News) Niger has become the first country to ratify the Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention, giving new impetus to the global fight against forced labour, including trafficking in persons and slavery-like practices.

“This is a historic moment: by being the first country to ratify the Protocol, Niger has ensured that the Protocol is well on the way to entering into force. This gives hope to the millions of women, children and men still trapped in modern slavery. I hope that many more countries will soon follow Niger’s example and ratify the Protocol as part of our joint effort to eradicate forced labour once and for all,” said Guy Ryder, in a ceremony to mark the ratification.

Niger’s Minister of Employment, Labour and Social Security, Salissou Ada, who deposited the ratification instruments, said: “This signature is the logical next step in our efforts to fight this plague that is infecting our society."

The ILO estimates that 21 million people are victims of forced labour around the world, generating approximately US$150 billion a year in illicit profits. Victims are exploited in agriculture, fishing, domestic work, construction, manufacturing, mining and other economic activities. Women and girls, in particular, are subjected to commercial sexual exploitation.

Niger ratified the Forced Labour Convention in 1961, after becoming independent in 1960. In 2002, it adopted legislation to outlaw slavery, with provision for strong penalties for anyone convicted of holding slaves.

However, a survey conducted in 2008 by the national Statistics Institute of Niger and the ILO found that more than 59,000 adults and children – out of a total population of 13 million - are victims of forced labour, mostly related to vestiges of slavery and deeply-rooted practices of discrimination.

The ILO’s Special Action Programme on Forced Labour renewed its partnership with the government and social partners in Niger in 2014, launching a second phase of its project against forced labour and discrimination (PACTRAD). This project supports the fight against forced labour and discrimination in Niger by providing technical support and capacity development to local actors, including traditional chiefs. PACTRAD has been able to raise awareness and to strengthen institutions to empower and protect victims of forced labour.

Beate Andrees, head of the ILO's Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour noted the significance of Niger as the first country to ratify the new protocol saying it illustrates the progress achieved in the country over the past few years.

Ratification campaign

The deposit of the ratification instruments comes during the 104th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), which is being held in Geneva between 1-13 June.

A global campaign to encourage at least 50 countries to ratify the Forced Labour Protocol by 2018 will be launched at the end of the ILC. During the Conference, delegates and visitors have been supporting the campaign, entitled 50 for Freedom, by signing up to end modern slavery on a symbolic panel. Niger’s Minister of Employment signed the panel after the ratification ceremony.

To enter into force, the Protocol needs ratification by two ILO member States.
The campaign can be supported and followed on Twitter with the hashtag #50FF.

Private Employment Agencies Convention In addition to being the first country to ratify the Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention, Niger has ratified the Private Employment Agencies Convention, 1997 (No. 181), underlining the country’s commitment to modernizing its labour market institutions and promoting full and productive employment. Three key occupational safety and health (OSH) instruments Niger today completed its process of ratification of the three key OSH instruments with the Protocol of 2002 to Convention No. 155. The Protocol of 2002 provides for a system of recording and notification of occupational accidents, diseases and dangerous occurrences. It complements Convention No. 155 and reinforces the important requirement to collect relevant data, with the involvement of the social partners. In addition, the Protocol is an instrument aimed at harmonizing the data collection systems in order to establish internationally comparable statistics. In 2009, Niger had already ratified the Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981 (No. 155) and the Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006 (No. 187).