Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957
Encyclopedia
Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 is an International Labour Organization
Convention, aimed at the abolishment of certain forms of forced labour still allowed under the Forced Labour Convention of 1930 like punishment for strikes and as a punishment for holding certain political views.
In order to implement of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 and the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957, the Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour
has been set up.
adopts this twenty-fifth day of June of the year one thousand nine hundred and fifty-seven the following Convention, which may be cited as the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957:
not to make use of any form of forced or compulsory labour:
( a ) As a means of political coercion or education or as a punishment for holding or expressing political views or
views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system;
( b ) As a method of mobilising and using labour for purposes of economic development;
( c ) As a means of labour discipline
;
( d ) As a punishment for having participated in strikes
;
( e ) As a means of racial, social, national or religious discrimination.
measures to secure the immediate and complete abolition of forced or compulsory labour as specified in article 1 of
this Convention.
Labour Office for registration.
ratifications have been registered with the Director-General.
2. It shall come into force twelve months after the date on which the ratifications of two Members have been
registered with the Director-General.
3. Thereafter, this Convention shall come into force for any Member twelve months after the date on which its
ratification has been registered.
which the Convention first comes into force, by an act communicated to the Director-General of the International
Labour Office for registration. Such denunciation shall not take effect until one year after the date on which it is
registered.
2. Each Member which has ratified this Convention and which does not, within the year following the expiration of
the period of ten years mentioned in the preceding paragraph, exercise the right of denunciation provided for in
this article, will be bound for another period of five years and, thereafter, may denounce this Convention at the
expiration of each period of five years under the terms provided for in this article.
Organisation of the registration of all ratifications and denunciations communicated to him by the Members of the
Organisation.
2. When notifying the Members of the Organisation of the registration of the second ratification communicated to
him the Director-General shall draw the attention of the Members of the Organisation to the date upon which the
Convention will come into force.
Nations for registration in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations full particulars of all
ratifications and acts of denunciation registered by him in accordance with the provisions of the preceding articles.
the General Conference a report on the working of the Convention and shall examine the desirability of placing on
the agenda of the Conference the question of its revision in whole or in part.
new Convention otherwise provides:
( a ) The ratification by a Member of the new revising Convention shall ipso jure involve the immediate
denunciation of this Convention, notwithstanding the provisions of article 5 above, if and when the new revising
Convention shall have come into force;
( b ) As from the date when the new revising Convention comes into force this Convention shall cease to be open
to ratification by the Members.
2. This Convention shall in any case remain in force in its actual form and content for those Members which have
ratified it but have not ratified the revising Convention.
The foregoing is the authentic text of the Convention duly adopted by the General Conference of the International
Labour Organisation during its fortieth session which was held at Geneva and declared closed the twenty-seventh
day of June 1957.
International Labour Organization
The International Labour Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that deals with labour issues pertaining to international labour standards. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland. Its secretariat — the people who are employed by it throughout the world — is known as the...
Convention, aimed at the abolishment of certain forms of forced labour still allowed under the Forced Labour Convention of 1930 like punishment for strikes and as a punishment for holding certain political views.
In order to implement of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 and the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957, the Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour
Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour
The Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour is the International Labour Organization Programme combating forced labour and related issues...
has been set up.
Text
Having considered the question of forced labour, which is the fourth item on the agenda of the session, and
Having noted the provisions of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, and
Having noted that the Slavery Convention, 1926, provides that all necessary measures shall be taken to prevent compulsory or forced labour from developing into conditions analogous to slavery and that the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, 1956, provides for the complete abolition of debt bondage and serfdom, and
Having noted that the Protection of Wages Convention, 1949Protection of Wages Convention, 1949Protection of Wages Convention, 1949 is an International Labour Organization Convention.It was established in 1949, with the preamble stating:Having decided upon the adoption of certain proposals concerning the protection of wages,...- Modification :...
, provides that wages shall be paid regularly and prohibits methods of payment which deprive the worker of a genuine possibility of terminating his employment, and
Having decided upon the adoption of further proposals with regard to the abolition of certain forms of forced or compulsory labour constituting a violation of the rights of man referred to in the Charter of the United Nations and enunciated by the Universal Declaration of Human RightsUniversal Declaration of Human RightsThe Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
, and...
Having determined that these proposals shall take the form of an international Convention,
adopts this twenty-fifth day of June of the year one thousand nine hundred and fifty-seven the following Convention, which may be cited as the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957:
Article 1
Each Member of the International Labour Organisation which ratifies this Convention undertakes to suppress andnot to make use of any form of forced or compulsory labour:
( a ) As a means of political coercion or education or as a punishment for holding or expressing political views or
views ideologically opposed to the established political, social or economic system;
( b ) As a method of mobilising and using labour for purposes of economic development;
( c ) As a means of labour discipline
Discipline
In its original sense, discipline is referred to systematic instruction given to disciples to train them as students in a craft or trade, or to follow a particular code of conduct or "order". Often, the phrase "to discipline" carries a negative connotation. This is because enforcement of order –...
;
( d ) As a punishment for having participated in strikes
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
;
( e ) As a means of racial, social, national or religious discrimination.
Article 2
Each Member of the International Labour Organisation which ratifies this Convention undertakes to take effectivemeasures to secure the immediate and complete abolition of forced or compulsory labour as specified in article 1 of
this Convention.
Article 3
The formal ratifications of this Convention shall be communicated to the Director-General of the InternationalLabour Office for registration.
Article 4
1. This Convention shall be binding only upon those Members of the International Labour Organisation whoseratifications have been registered with the Director-General.
2. It shall come into force twelve months after the date on which the ratifications of two Members have been
registered with the Director-General.
3. Thereafter, this Convention shall come into force for any Member twelve months after the date on which its
ratification has been registered.
Article 5
1. A Member which has ratified this Convention may denounce it after the expiration of ten years from the date onwhich the Convention first comes into force, by an act communicated to the Director-General of the International
Labour Office for registration. Such denunciation shall not take effect until one year after the date on which it is
registered.
2. Each Member which has ratified this Convention and which does not, within the year following the expiration of
the period of ten years mentioned in the preceding paragraph, exercise the right of denunciation provided for in
this article, will be bound for another period of five years and, thereafter, may denounce this Convention at the
expiration of each period of five years under the terms provided for in this article.
Article 6
1. The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall notify all Members of the International LabourOrganisation of the registration of all ratifications and denunciations communicated to him by the Members of the
Organisation.
2. When notifying the Members of the Organisation of the registration of the second ratification communicated to
him the Director-General shall draw the attention of the Members of the Organisation to the date upon which the
Convention will come into force.
Article 7
The Director-General of the International Labour Office shall communicate to the Secretary-General of the UnitedNations for registration in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations full particulars of all
ratifications and acts of denunciation registered by him in accordance with the provisions of the preceding articles.
Article 8
At such times as it may consider necessary the Governing Body of the International Labour Office shall present tothe General Conference a report on the working of the Convention and shall examine the desirability of placing on
the agenda of the Conference the question of its revision in whole or in part.
Article 9
1. Should the Conference adopt a new Convention revising this Convention in whole or in part, then, unless thenew Convention otherwise provides:
( a ) The ratification by a Member of the new revising Convention shall ipso jure involve the immediate
denunciation of this Convention, notwithstanding the provisions of article 5 above, if and when the new revising
Convention shall have come into force;
( b ) As from the date when the new revising Convention comes into force this Convention shall cease to be open
to ratification by the Members.
2. This Convention shall in any case remain in force in its actual form and content for those Members which have
ratified it but have not ratified the revising Convention.
Article 10
The English and French versions of the text of this Convention are equally authoritative.The foregoing is the authentic text of the Convention duly adopted by the General Conference of the International
Labour Organisation during its fortieth session which was held at Geneva and declared closed the twenty-seventh
day of June 1957.
External links
- www.ilo.org/ official ILO site.
- Text of the Convention at the Center for a World in Balance
- The ILO Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour (SAP-FL)