The International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo and Brazil’s Minister of Labour and Employment Luiz Marinho commemorated Brazil’s ratification of the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention (No. 29) during the ILO’s 20th American Regional Meeting on 1 October in the Dominican Republic. This meeting provided the first high-level acknowledgment of Brazil’s ratification since the country submitted its instrument to the ILO in Geneva in July 2025.
The event highlighted Brazil’s renewed commitment to eradicating forced labour and implementing strengthened protections for workers. The Protocol modernizes the 1930 Forced Labour Convention to address contemporary challenges, at a time when an estimated 28 million people remain trapped in forced labour worldwide. With this ratification, Brazil joins 62 other ILO member states in pledging to improve legislation, enhance labour inspections, support affected workers, and promote responsible business conduct and due diligence.
As a founding member of the ILO, Brazil has now ratified 98 Conventions and one Protocol. The country has a long history of action against forced and child labour, including ILO-supported projects targeting supply chains such as cocoa, coffee, açaí, and carnaúba. These initiatives promote decent work, expand income-generation opportunities, strengthen public policies, and raise awareness of international labour standards, aligning with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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