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.

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.

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.

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.

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:

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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:. 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 or practices similar to slavery, such as
  • the sale of a child;
  • trafficking of children, 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 or any other form of bonded labour or serfdom;
  • forced or compulsory labour, including forced or compulsory recruitment of children for use in armed conflict;
  • Commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC), including the use, procuring or offering of a child for:
  • prostitution, or
  • the production of pornography 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 (CUBAC), including the trafficking or production of drugs

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 addressing the worst forms of child labour
  • Time-Bound Programmes for the Eradication of the Worst forms of Child Labour;
  • International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour;
  • Country programmes on Commercial sexual exploitation of children.

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

References

  • Text of the Convention and Recommendation No 190
  • ratifications
  • Handbook for parliamentarians: Eliminating the worst forms of child labour ILO, Inter-Parliamentary Union, 2002
  • ILO Further documents on Worst Form Hazards
  • Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor - U.S. Department of Labor