Cabinet greenlights ratification of Forced Labour Convention protocol to strengthen trade relations

The federal government has decided to ratify the Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, in a move to strengthen its cooperation with global trade partners, particularly the European Union (EU), which prioritizes human rights. 

Pakistan’s failure to ratify the protocol could be seen as a lack of commitment to human rights, especially under the EU’s stricter trade conditions introduced via the due diligence directive.

According to media reports, the cabinet approved the ratification in a recent meeting, with officials noting that delays in this process could damage Pakistan’s international reputation and potentially lead to sanctions or restrictions from key trading partners.

The cabinet was informed that the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD) had been tasked with engaging international organizations focused on labour and social security. 

Pakistan, a member of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) since 1947, has ratified 36 out of 191 ILO Conventions, with 30 currently in force. 

The 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention (P-029) is considered one of the 11 ILO instruments that are fundamental, as per the 1998 Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work. 

All ILO members are required to respect and promote fundamental principles, including the abolition of forced labour.

A gap assessment conducted in 2021, with technical assistance from the ILO’s country office, identified areas where national legislation on forced labour did not fully align with the protocol’s provisions. The findings were shared through workshops involving government agencies, employers, and workers’ organizations in 2021 and 2023. 

The ILO’s ongoing Bridge project, which runs from 2023 to 2025, aims to address forced labour through targeted interventions, particularly in areas where the issue is most prevalent.

The Ministry of Commerce had informed in October 2022 that the ratification of P-029 would be included in the list of international conventions necessary for Pakistan’s participation in the United Kingdom’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme, which replaces the UK’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP).

The ratification of the protocol is also a key action point in the Ministry of Human Rights’ Five-Year National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (2021-2026), which was approved by the federal cabinet. 

Pakistan’s improved ranking in the US Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report highlights progress in addressing modern slavery and forced labour, and the ratification of P-029 is expected to further enhance the country’s ranking.