4/5/24, 5:58 AM Convention C182 - Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No.

182)

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C182 - Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)

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Preamble

The General Conference of the International Labour Organization,

Hav ing been conv ened at Genev a by the Gov erning Body of the International Labour Office, and hav ing m et in its 87 th
Session on 1 June 1 9 9 9 , and

Considering the need to adopt new instrum ents for the prohibition and elim ination of the worst form s of child labour, as
the m ain priority for national and international action, including international cooperation and assistance, to
com plem ent the Conv ention and the Recom m endation concerning Minim um Age for Adm ission to Em ploy m ent, 1 9 7 3 ,
which rem ain fundam ental instrum ents on child labour, and

Considering that the effectiv e elim ination of the worst form s of child labour requires im m ediate and com prehensiv e
action, taking into account the im portance of free basic education and the need to rem ov e the children concerned from
all such work and to prov ide for their rehabilitation and social integration while addressing the needs of their fam ilies,
and

Recalling the resolution concerning the elim ination of child labour adopted by the International Labour Conference at its
83 rd Session in 1 9 9 6 , and

Recognizing that child labour is to a great extent caused by pov erty and that the long-term solution lies in sustained
econom ic growth leading to social progress, in particular pov erty allev iation and univ ersal education, and

Recalling the Conv ention on the Rights of the Child adopted by the United Nations General Assem bly on 2 0 Nov em ber
1 9 89 , and

Recalling the ILO Declaration on Fundam ental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, adopted by the
International Labour Conference at its 86 th Session in 1 9 9 8, and

Recalling that som e of the worst form s of child labour are cov ered by other international instrum ents, in particular the
Forced Labour Conv ention, 1 9 3 0, and the United Nations Supplem entary Conv ention on the Abolition of Slav ery , the
Slav e Trade, and Institutions and Practices Sim ilar to Slav ery , 1 9 56 , and

Hav ing decided upon the adoption of certain proposals with regard to child labour, which is the fourth item on the
agenda of the session, and

Hav ing determ ined that these proposals shall take the form of an international Conv ention;

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4/5/24, 5:58 AM Convention C182 - Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)
adopts this sev enteenth day of June of the y ear one thousand nine hundred and ninety -nine the following Conv ention,
which m ay be cited as the Worst Form s of Child Labour Conv ention, 1 9 9 9 .

Article 1
Each Mem ber which ratifies this Conv ention shall take im m ediate and effectiv e m easures to secure the prohibition and
elim ination of the worst form s of child labour as a m atter of urgency .

Article 2
For the purposes of this Conv ention, the term child shall apply to all persons under the age of 1 8.

Article 3
For the purposes of this Conv ention, the term t he worst forms of child labour com prises:

(a) all form s of slav ery or practices sim ilar to slav ery , such as the sale and trafficking of children, debt bondage and
serfdom and forced or com pulsory labour, including forced or com pulsory recruitm ent of children for use in arm ed
conflict;

(b) the use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution, for the production of pornography or for pornographic
perform ances;

(c) the use, procuring or offering of a child for illicit activ ities, in particular for the production and trafficking of drugs as
defined in the relev ant international treaties;

(d) work which, by its nature or the circum stances in which it is carried out, is likely to harm the health, safety or
m orals of children.

Article 4
1 . The ty pes of work referred to under Article 3 (d) shall be determ ined by national laws or regulations or by the com petent
authority , after consultation with the organizations of em ploy ers and workers concerned, taking into consideration relev ant
international standards, in particular Paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Worst Form s of Child Labour Recom m endation, 1 9 9 9 .

2 . The com petent authority , after consultation with the organizations of em ploy ers and workers concerned, shall identify
where the ty pes of work so determ ined exist.

3 . The list of the ty pes of work determ ined under paragraph 1 of this Article shall be periodically exam ined and rev ised as
necessary , in consultation with the organizations of em ploy ers and workers concerned.

Article 5
Each Mem ber shall, after consultation with em ploy ers' and workers' organizations, establish or designate appropriate
m echanism s to m onitor the im plem entation of the prov isions giv ing effect to this Conv ention.

Article 6
1 . Each Mem ber shall design and im plem ent program m es of action to elim inate as a priority the worst form s of child labour.

2 . Such program m es of action shall be designed and im plem ented in consultation with relev ant gov ernm ent institutions and
em ploy ers' and workers' organizations, taking into consideration the v iews of other concerned groups as appropriate.

Article 7
1 . Each Mem ber shall take all necessary m easures to ensure the effectiv e im plem entation and enforcem ent of the prov isions
giv ing effect to this Conv ention including the prov ision and application of penal sanctions or, as appropriate, other sanctions.

2 . Each Mem ber shall, taking into account the im portance of education in elim inating child labour, take effectiv e and tim e-
bound m easures to:

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4/5/24, 5:58 AM Convention C182 - Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)
(a) prev ent the engagem ent of children in the worst form s of child labour;

(b) prov ide the necessary and appropriate direct assistance for the rem ov al of children from the worst form s of child
labour and for their rehabilitation and social integration;

(c) ensure access to free basic education, and, wherev er possible and appropriate, v ocational training, for all children
rem ov ed from the worst form s of child labour;

(d) identify and reach out to children at special risk; and

(e) take account of the special situation of girls.

3 . Each Mem ber shall designate the com petent authority responsible for the im plem entation of the prov isions giv ing effect to
this Conv ention.

Article 8
Mem bers shall take appropriate steps to assist one another in giv ing effect to the prov isions of this Conv ention through
enhanced international cooperation and/or assistance including support for social and econom ic dev elopm ent, pov erty
eradication program m es and univ ersal education.

Article 9
The form al ratifications of this Conv ention shall be com m unicated to the Director-General of the International Labour Office
for registration.

Article 10
1 . This Conv ention shall be binding only upon those Mem bers of the International Labour Organization whose ratifications
hav e been registered with the Director-General of the International Labour Office.

2 . It shall com e into force 1 2 m onths after the date on which the ratifications of two Mem bers hav e been registered with the
Director-General.

3 . Thereafter, this Conv ention shall com e into force for any Mem ber 1 2 m onths after the date on which its ratification has
been registered.

Article 11
1 . A Mem ber which has ratified this Conv ention m ay denounce it after the expiration of ten y ears from the date on which
the Conv ention first com es into force, by an act com m unicated to the Director-General of the International Labour Office for
registration. Such denunciation shall not take effect until one y ear after the date on which it is registered.

2 . Each Mem ber which has ratified this Conv ention and which does not, within the y ear following the expiration of the
period of ten y ears m entioned in the preceding paragraph, exercise the right of denunciation prov ided for in this Article, will
be bound for another period of ten y ears and, thereafter, m ay denounce this Conv ention at the expiration of each period of
ten y ears under the term s prov ided for in this Article.

Article 12
1 . The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall notify all Mem bers of the International Labour Organization
of the registration of all ratifications and acts of denunciation com m unicated by the Mem bers of the Organization.

2 . When notify ing the Mem bers of the Organization of the registration of the second ratification, the Director-General shall
draw the attention of the Mem bers of the Organization to the date upon which the Conv ention shall com e into force.

Article 13
The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall com m unicate to the Secretary -General of the United Nations,
for registration in accordance with article 1 02 of the Charter of the United Nations, full particulars of all ratifications and

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4/5/24, 5:58 AM Convention C182 - Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182)
acts of denunciation registered by the Director-General in accordance with the prov isions of the preceding Articles.

Article 14
At such tim es as it m ay consider necessary , the Gov erning Body of the International Labour Office shall present to the
General Conference a report on the working of this Conv ention and shall exam ine the desirability of placing on the agenda of
the Conference the question of its rev ision in whole or in part.

Article 15
1 . Should the Conference adopt a new Conv ention rev ising this Conv ention in whole or in part, then, unless the new
Conv ention otherwise prov ides --

(a) the ratification by a Mem ber of the new rev ising Conv ention shall ipso jure inv olv e the im m ediate denunciation of
this Conv ention, notwithstanding the prov isions of Article 1 1 abov e, if and when the new rev ising Conv ention shall
hav e com e into force;

(b) as from the date when the new rev ising Conv ention com es into force, this Conv ention shall cease to be open to
ratification by the Mem bers.

2 . This Conv ention shall in any case rem ain in force in its actual form and content for those Mem bers which hav e ratified it
but hav e not ratified the rev ising Conv ention.

Article 16
The English and French v ersions of the text of this Conv ention are equally authoritativ e.
See related
Constitution
Constitution Article 2 2

Key Information

Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of
Child Labour (Entry into force: 19 Nov 2000)
Adoption: Geneva, 87th ILC session (17 Jun 1999)
Status: Up-to-date instrument (Fundamental Convention).
Convention may be denounced: 19 Nov 2030 - 19 Nov 2031

See also

Ratifications by country
Submissions to competent authorities by country

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