UAE ratifies International Forced Labour Protocol

The United Arab Emirates has ratified a major international agreement aimed at strengthening protections against forced labour, becoming the 63rd country worldwide and the second in the Gulf Cooperation Council to adopt the ILO Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention of 1930.

The protocol, adopted at the International Labour Conference in 2014, reinforces the global legal framework for preventing forced labour and requires countries that sign up to take action to stop exploitation, punish those responsible and support victims, including through access to justice and effective legal remedies. It covers forms of abuse such as human trafficking, debt bondage and forced domestic work.

The UAE said the move reflects its commitment to combating forced labour in all its forms.

Jamal Al Musharakh, the UAE’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and other international organisations in Geneva, said the ratification underlines the country’s focus on protecting fundamental rights at work, adding that migrant workers play a central role in the UAE’s development in a society where more than 200 nationalities live and work.

He said the UAE values its cooperation with the International Labour Organisation and will continue taking steps to protect workers’ rights through legal frameworks and policies aligned with international standards.

The ILO Director-General welcomed the UAE’s ratification, saying it demonstrated a firm commitment to tackling forced labour and supporting decent work, while also contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The protocol will enter into force in the UAE one year after the instrument of ratification is formally deposited with the ILO. The UAE has now ratified nine ILO conventions.