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
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...
(ILO) in 1999 as ILO Convention No 182. It is one of eight
ILO fundamental conventions
The Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work was adopted in 1998, at the 86th International Labour Conference. It is a statement made by the International Labour Organization "that all Members, even if they have not ratified the ...
.
By ratifying this Convention No. 182, a country commits itself to taking immediate action to prohibit and eliminate the worst forms of
child labour
Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such e ...
. The Convention is enjoying the fastest pace of ratifications in the ILO's history since 1919.
The ILO's
International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour The International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) is a programme that the International Labour Organization has run since 1992. IPEC's aim is to work towards the progressive elimination of child labour by strengthening national c ...
(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
The Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation was adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1999 as ILO Recommendation No 190. The provisions of this Recommendation supplement those of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention ( ...
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 {{no footnotes, date=May 2014
The Worst Forms of Hazards faced by Children at Work is a provision in the Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation (No. 190) adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1999. It sets out the framework ...
.
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.
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.
Ratifications
On 4 August 2020, the High Commissioner for 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:
Predefined ''worst forms of child labour''
Article 3 of the International Labor Organization's Convention 182 includes forms of
child labour
Child labour refers to the exploitation of children through any form of work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and is mentally, physically, socially and morally harmful. Such e ...
, which are ''predefined'' as the worst forms of child labour, including the following:. They are also sometimes referred to as ''automatic'' worst forms of child labour.
The predefined worst forms of child labour are:
*all forms of
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
or practices similar to slavery, such as
**the sale of a child;
**
trafficking of children
Trafficking of children is a form of human trafficking and is defined by the United Nations as the "recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, and/or receipt" kidnapping of a child for the purpose of slavery, forced labour and exploitation. ...
, meaning the recruitment of children to do work far away from home and from the care of their families, in circumstances within which they are exploited;
**
debt bondage
Debt bondage, also known as debt slavery, bonded labour, or peonage, is the pledge of a person's services as security for the repayment for a debt or other obligation. Where the terms of the repayment are not clearly or reasonably stated, the pe ...
or any other form of
bonded labour
Debt bondage, also known as debt slavery, bonded labour, or peonage, is the pledge of a person's services as security for the repayment for a debt or other obligation. Where the terms of the repayment are not clearly or reasonably stated, the pe ...
or
serfdom
Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism, and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery, which develop ...
;
**
forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of
children for use in armed conflict;
*
Commercial sexual exploitation of children
Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a commercial transaction that involves the sexual exploitation of a child, or person under the age of consent. CSEC involves a range of abuses, including but not limited to: the prostitution of ...
(CSEC), including the use, procuring or offering of a child for:
**
prostitution
Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in Sex work, sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, n ...
, or
**the production of
pornography
Pornography (often shortened to porn or porno) is the portrayal of sexual subject matter for the exclusive purpose of sexual arousal. Primarily intended for adults, or for pornographic performances;
*use, procuring or offering of a child by others for illegal activities, also known as
children used by adults in the commission of crime
The use, procuring or offering of a child by others for illegal activities, including the trafficking or production of drugs, is one of the ''predefined worst forms of child labour'' in terms of the International Labour Organization
The Inter ...
(CUBAC), including the trafficking or production of drugs
*work by its nature that is likely to harm the health, safety or morals of children
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
The Worst Forms of Child Labour Recommendation was adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 1999 as ILO Recommendation No 190. The provisions of this Recommendation supplement those of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention ( ...
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:
* "Any work that exposes children to sexual abuse (physically or psychologically).
* Any work that is done underground, under water, at dangerous heights or in confined spaces.
* Any work that is done with dangerous machinery, equipment and tools.
* Any work that involves the manual handling or transport of heavy loads.
* Any work that is done in an unhealthy environment which may, for example, expose children to hazardous substances, agents or processes, or to temperatures, noise levels, or vibrations damaging to their health.
* Any work that is done under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night or work where the child is unreasonably confined to the premises of the employer."
Country programmes on WFCL
Several programs exist (coordinated by the ILO or other UN organisations) to stimulate adherence to the convention:
*Programmes of the
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and o ...
addressing the worst forms of child labour
**
;
**
International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour The International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) is a programme that the International Labour Organization has run since 1992. IPEC's aim is to work towards the progressive elimination of child labour by strengthening national c ...
;
**Country programmes on
Commercial sexual exploitation of children
Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) is a commercial transaction that involves the sexual exploitation of a child, or person under the age of consent. CSEC involves a range of abuses, including but not limited to: the prostitution of ...
.
The
plays a role in the co-ordination of activities.
References
{{Reflist
External links
*Text of th
Conventionan
Recommendation No 190ratificationsHandbook for parliamentarians: Eliminating the worst forms of child labourILO
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is the first and ol ...
,
Inter-Parliamentary Union
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; french: Union Interparlementaire, UIP) is an inter-parliamentary institution, international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and coop ...
, 2002
ILO Further documents on Worst Form HazardsFindings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - U.S. Department of Labor
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