Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention

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Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999
Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour
Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention.svg
  Party
  Convention not in force
  Convention not applied (dependent territory)
  Non ILO-member
Signed17 June 1999
Location Geneva
Effective19 November 2000
Conditionuniversal ratification by all 187 members of the UN International Labour Organization (ILO)
Parties187 [1]
DepositaryDirector-General of the International Labour Office
Languages English and French (Article 16)

The Convention Concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, known in short as the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, was adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1999 as ILO Convention No 182. It is one of eight ILO fundamental conventions. [2]

Contents

By ratifying this Convention No. 182, a country commits itself to taking immediate action to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of child labour, including slavery, child prostitution, use of children in criminal activities, and dangerous labour. The convention is enjoying the fastest pace of ratifications in the ILO's history since 1919. [3]

The ILO's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) is responsible for assisting countries in this regard as well as monitoring compliance. One of the methods used by IPEC to assist countries in this regard are Time-bound Programmes.

The ILO also adopted the Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation No 190 in 1999. This recommendation contains, among others, recommendations on the types of hazards that should be considered for inclusion within a country-based definition of Worst Forms of Hazards faced by Children at Work. [4]

Convention No 182 has been signed by all ILO Member States by 4 August 2020. This has become the fastest ratified agreement in the UN's 101-year history. [1]

Purpose of the Convention

The elimination of child labour was one of the main goals of the ILO. According to the UN agency, 152 million children worldwide are affected by the convention, almost half of which do dangerous work. Most child labour is carried out in the agricultural sector, mainly due to poverty and the difficulties faced by parents. The convention supports the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including slavery, forced labour and trafficking in human beings. It prohibits the use of children in armed conflicts, prostitution and pornography, illegal activities such as drug trafficking and dangerous work. According to the ILO, the proportion of child labour fell by almost 40 percent between 2000 and 2016 as the ratification rate increased and countries passed laws and policies, including the minimum age of employment. [5]

Ratifications

On 4 August 2020, the High Commissioner for Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga in the United Kingdom, Hon. Titilupe Fanetupouvava'u Tuita-Tu'ivakanō, formally deposited the ratification instruments for this convention together with ILO Director-General, Guy Ryder. This is a historic event as it is the first time for an International Labor Convention to be ratified by all member states.

The convention has also not been extended to several non-metropolitan territories of states that ratified the convention: [6]

StateNon-metropolitan territory
Flag of Australia (converted).svg AustraliaFlag of Norfolk Island.svg Norfolk Island
Flag of Denmark.svg DenmarkFlag of the Faroe Islands.svg Faroe Islands, Flag of Greenland.svg Greenland
Flag of France.svg FranceFlag of French Polynesia.svg French Polynesia, Flags of New Caledonia.svg New Caledonia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Kingdom of the NetherlandsFlag of Sint Maarten.svg Sint Maarten and the Caribbean Netherlands [7]
Flag of New Zealand.svg New ZealandFlag of Tokelau.svg Tokelau
Flag of the United States.svg United StatesFlag of American Samoa.svg American Samoa, Flag of Guam.svg Guam, Flag of the Northern Mariana Islands.svg Northern Mariana Islands, Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Puerto Rico, Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg United States Virgin Islands
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United KingdomFlag of Anguilla.svg Anguilla, Flag of Bermuda.svg Bermuda, Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg British Virgin Islands, Flag of Gibraltar.svg Gibraltar, Flag of the Isle of Man.svg Isle of Man, Flag of Jersey.svg Jersey, Flag of Montserrat.svg Montserrat

Predefined worst forms of child labour

Article 3 of the International Labor Organization's Convention 182 includes forms of child labour, which are predefined as the worst forms of child labour, including the following:. [8] They are also sometimes referred to as automatic worst forms of child labour.

The predefined worst forms of child labour are:

Worst form hazards: To be defined by each ratifying country

The last category of worst form of child labour is work which by its nature or the circumstances is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children, or Worst Forms of Hazards faced by Children at Work. Here the Convention recommended that the circumstances should be determined in consultation with organisations of employers and workers within a specific country. The Convention recommends that programmes of action should attend specifically to younger children, the girl child, hidden work situation in which girls are at special risk, and other groups of children with special vulnerabilities or needs. Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation No 190 contains recommendations on the types of hazards that should be considered to be included within a country-based definition of worst form hazards. This could lead to many deaths.

The worst forms of child labour that should be prohibited in ILO Recommendation No. 190 are:

Country programmes on WFCL

Several programs exist (coordinated by the ILO or other UN organisations) to stimulate adherence to the convention:

The Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography plays a role in the co-ordination of activities.

References

  1. 1 2 "Convention on worst forms of child labour receives universal ratification". 4 August 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.
  2. "Conventions and ratifications". International Labour Organization . 27 May 2011.
  3. "Convention C001 Hours of Work (Industry) Convention 1919 (No 1)". www.ilo.org. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  4. "R190 - Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation, 1999 (No. 190)". International Labour Organization . 17 June 1999.
  5. "Convention on worst forms of child labour receives universal ratification". UN News. 4 August 2020.
  6. "Report IV, Fundamental principles and rights at work: From commitment to action" (PDF). International Labour Organization (First ed.). 2012.
  7. "Treaty Database; Convention concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labour". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands). Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  8. "Convention C182 - Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)". www.ilo.org.
  9. 1 2 3 "C182 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999". International Labour Organization. 1999. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2012.
  10. "Worst forms of child labour (IPEC)". www.ilo.org. Retrieved 25 July 2018.