ILO's child labor convention ratified by all of its members

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The International Labour Organization (ILO) has announced that a convention on child labor has been ratified by all of its member states following approval by the Kingdom of Tonga. 

Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour was also the most rapidly ratified convention in the history of the organization, it said.

"Universal ratification of Convention 182 is an historic first that means that all children now have legal protection against the worst forms of child labour," said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder.

"It reflects a global commitment that the worst forms of child labour, such as slavery, sexual exploitation, the use of children in armed conflict or other illicit or hazardous work that compromises children's health, morals or psychological wellbeing, have no place in our society.

"Universal ratification of Convention 182 is an historic first. It reflects a global commitment that the worst forms of child labour, such as slavery, sexual exploitation, the use of children in armed conflict or other illicit or hazardous work that compromises children's health, morals or psychological wellbeing, have no place in our society."

The ILO estimates that there are 152 million child workers in the world and 73 million of them are in hazardous work. Seventy per cent of all child labour takes place in agriculture and is mostly related to poverty and parents' difficulties finding decent work.

Convention No. 182 calls for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including slavery, forced labour and trafficking. It prohibits the use of children in armed conflict, prostitution, pornography and illicit activities such as drug trafficking, and in hazardous work.

Turkey and ILO

Turkey has been a member of ILO since 1932 and ratified 59 conventions of the organization.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute, there are at least 720,000 child workers in Turkey.

ILO convention ratified by Turkey: 

• C 2 Unemployment Convention, 1919
• C 11 Right of Association (Agriculture) Convention, 1921
• C 14 Weekly Rest (Industry) Convention, 1921
• C 15 Minimum Age (Trimmers and Stokers) Convention, 1921
• C 26 Minimum Wage-Fixing Machinery Convention, 1928
• C 29 Forced Labour Convention, 1930
• C 34 Fee-Charging Employment Agencies Convention, 1933
• C 42 Workmen's Compensation (Occupational Diseases) Convention (Revised), 1934
• C 45 Underground Work (Women) Convention, 1935
• C 53 Officers' Competency Certificates Convention, 1936
• C 55 Shipowners' Liability (Sick and Injured Seamen) Convention, 1936
• C 58 Minimum Age (Sea) Convention (Revised), 1936
• C 59 Minimum Age (Industry) Convention (Revised), 1937
• C 68 Food and Catering (Ships' Crews) Convention, 1946
• C 69 Certification of Ships' Cooks Convention, 1946
• C 73 Medical Examination (Seafarers Convention, 1946
• C 77 Medical Examination of Young Persons (Industry) Convention, 1946
• C 80 Final Articles Revision Convention, 1946
• C 81 Labour Inspection Convention, 1947
• C 87 Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948
• C 88 Employment Service Convention, 1948
• C 92 Accommodation of Crews Convention (Revised), 1949
• C 94 Labour Clauses (Public Contracts) Convention, 1949
• C 95 Protection of Wages Convention, 1949
• C 96 Fee-Charging Employment Agencies Convention (Revised), 1949
• C 98 Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949
• C 99 Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery (Agriculture) Convention, 1951
• C100 Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951
• C102 Social Security (Minimum Standards) Convention, 1952
• C105 Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957
• C108 Seafarers' Identity Documents Convention, 1958
• C111 Discrimination (Employment and Occupation) Convention, 1958
• C115 Radiation Protection Convention, 1960
• C116 Final Articles Revision Convention, 1961
• C118 Equality of Treatment (Social Security Convention, 1962
• C119 Guarding of Machinery Convention, 1963
• C122 Employment Policy Convention, 1964
• C123 Minimum Age (Underground Work) Convention, 1965
• C127 Maximum Weight Convention, 1967
• C133 Accommodation of Crews (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1970
• C134 Prevention of Accidents (Seafarers) Convention, 1970
• C135 Workers' Representatives Convention, 1971
• C138 Minimum Age Convention, 1973
• C142 Human Resources Development Convention, 1975
• C144 Tripartite Consultation (International Labour Standards) Convention, 1976
• C146 Seafarers' Annual Leave with Pay Convention, 1976
• C151 Labour Relations (Public Service) Convention, 1978
• C152 Occupational Safety and Health (Dock Work) Convention, 1979
• C153 Hours of Work and Rest Periods (Road Transport) Convention, 1979
• C155 Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 1981
• C158 Termination of Employment Convention, 1982
• C159 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) Convention, 1983
• C161 Occupational Health Services Convention, 1985
• C164 Health Protection and Medical Care (Seafarers) Convention, 1987
• C166 Repatriation of Seafarers Convention (Revised), 1987
• C167 Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988
• C176 Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995
• C182 Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999
• C187 Promotional Framework for Occupational Safety and Health Convention, 2006

(EMK/VK)