ILO Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention Comes into Force

The ILO Convention on the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour came into force November 19 with nearly 25% of the organisation’s 175 members participating as formal signatories. Now that the convention is in force, its signatories must take immediate and effect action to prohibit and eliminate slavery, debt bondage, prostitution, pornography and other forms of abusive child labour, and ILO members who have not yet ratified the convention must gear their policies toward the effective abolition of child labour. All members of the ILO are also legally bound to report annually to the organisation on their efforts to end both the worst forms of child labour and child labour in general (as defined under Convention 138 on Minimum Age). Forty-nine countries have ratified Convention 182 since it was adopted in June 1999.