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A - ILO has adopted
its first convention on child labor in 1919 (the
year of its foundation) and is formally engaged
in the abolition of forced labor since 1930, according
to the adoption of the Convention on Forced Labor
(nr. 29). The latter was supplemented in 1957 by
the Convention on the Abolition of Forced Labor
(nr. 105), an instrument that strengthened ILO's
commitment towards the eradication of slavery, defining
specific cases that should be eliminated, such as:
- political coercion and education, or
punishment for the expression of political
or ideological positions;
- mobilization of labor forces for the
purpose of economic development;
- training for work;
- punishment for joining labor strikes;
or
- racial, social, national or religious
discrimination.
Along with the two subsequent conventions on
child labor - the Minimum Age Convention (nr.
138) and the Worst Forms of Child Labor Convention
(nr. 182) - these four instruments are considered
essential ILO conventions. They are under the
umbrella of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental
Principles and Rights at Work and their Follow-up.
The ILO member countries are committed to complying
with and promoting the incorporated principles,
irrespective of their ratification of these conventions.
ILO's efforts for encouraging the elimination
of forced labor and child labor have been an important
part of its institutional history. For example,
in mid-20th century, ILO introduced a series of
programs for encouraging the eradication of bondage
forms of agriculture in developing countries.
Its most recent efforts have been better integrated
and aim at helping countries to develop the legal
and social structures necessary for promoting
the compliance to fundamental conventions.
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