Which ILO convention requires urgent action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour?

ILO Convention No. 182 requires urgent action to eliminate the worst forms of child labour.

The convention was adopted by the International Labour Conference in 1999. It defines the worst forms to include slavery and slavery-like practices, trafficking, forced labour, recruitment of children for armed conflict, commercial sexual exploitation, and dangerous work.

It requires ratifying countries to prohibit and eliminate these practices urgently, while identifying hazardous work in consultation with employers’ and workers’ organizations. Countries must also create prevention, removal, rehabilitation, and social-integration measures.

Convention No. 182 is different from Convention No. 138, which establishes a general minimum age for employment and aims at the effective abolition of child labour. The two instruments address related but distinct parts of child-labour policy.