The Australian Government has now ratified the most contemporary international labour standard to address forced labour.
The Federal Executive Council has approved the ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Protocol of 2014 to Forced Labour Convention 1930 (No. 29) (the Protocol) and Australia communicated its formal ratification to the Director-General of the ILO in Geneva for registration.
The Protocol contains provisions to further tackle the complexities of modern slavery and to address the root causes of forced labour, with obligations to:
- prevent and suppress forced labour,
- protect victims and provide access to appropriate and effective remedies, and
- penalise the perpetrators of forced labour and end their impunity.
By ratifying this Protocol, the Australian Government should commit to the establishment of a national compensation scheme to assist victim-survivors in rebuilding their lives.
