Zambia to champion the ratification campaign of forced labour protocol in Africa

LUSAKA (ILO News) – With Zambia leading the 50 for Freedom campaign in the region, it’s time to make the elimination of forced labour, human trafficking and slavery-like practices a reality in Africa, stated Aeneas Chapinga Chuma, ILO’s Assistant Director-General and Regional Director for Africa.

"On behalf of SADC member States, I am pleased to accept the role of championing the (50 for Freedom) campaign on the ratification of the ILO Protocol", President Edgar Chagwa Lungu of Zambia announced at the Sub-regional Conference on the ILO Protocol on Forced Labour held in Lusaka.

Almost 21 million people are victims of forced labour worldwide. 3.7 million of them are in Africa living in situations of forced labour and working under extreme coercion, largely in the informal and illegal economy.

"We can safely say at least 4 in every 1,000 people in Africa are in forced labour at any given time", President Lungu underscored urging all African countries to implement effective national legislation and policies in order to end modern-day slavery.

“Now, in 2015, it is time to (…) ratify the Protocol, and send a collective message of support for “50 for freedom”, to be heard by the continent and the world at the ILO’s Regional Meeting for Africa that will take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, later this month. This is an opportunity for Africa to show leadership”, Aeneas Chuma, the ILO Chief for Africa said reminding participants that the provisions of the Protocol were threefold: prevention, protection and compensation.

The Conference brings together High Level government representatives, social partners as well as members and delegates of the civil society and the United Nations System across Africa to review current knowledge and data on the scope of forced labour and trafficking in the region and to assess current action and challenges to prevent and combat modern day slavery.

"Poverty is a major contributor to the continued existence of forced labour", reiterated President Edgar Chagwa Lungu calling for "policies centred on jobs, income, and the establishment of nationally defined social protection floors".

In Africa, agriculture, construction, domestic work, the sex industry and certain parts of global manufacturing supply chains are most affected by forced labour.

The 50 for Freedom campaign on the ILO Forced Labour Protocol aims at mobilizing public support to help influence the decision of at least 50 countries to ratify the Forced Labour Protocol by 2018, gradually reaching the goal of universal ratification of Convention No 29 and the Protocol by 2030.

Niger is currently the only country worldwide that has ratified the Forced labour Protocol and Norway should become shortly the second country to ratify the internationally agreed standard.

"My country will lead by example in taking the necessary steps required towards ratification of the Protocol", President Lungu concluded by calling upon "member countries to speed up the actions to combat forced labour by ratifying the protocol".