National Assembly deliberates Vietnam’s joining ILO convention against forced labour

Joining the International Labour Organisation (ILO)’s Abolition of Forced Labour Convention (Convention 105) is significant to Vietnam in political, economic, social and legal spheres, Vice President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh said on May 20.

She made the remarks at the ongoing ninth session of the 14th legislature while presenting the State President’s proposal to the National Assembly for ratifying the convention.

Adopted by the ILO on June 25, 1957, Convention 105 is one of the two ILO conventions against forced labour, along with Convention 29 which Vietnam joined in 2007.

With 10 chapters, it prescribes fundamental international regulations on the abolition of forced labour and ensuring labourers’ right to free choice of profession and employment.

This is one of the human rights and basic rights of citizens stipulated in the 2013 Constitution, Thinh said, adding that the abolition of forced labour is not only the basic standard set by the ILO but also the universal human rights standard mentioned in the UN International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The abolition of forced labour will help to build harmonious labour relations, thus contributing to spurring socio-economic development, while making it easier for Vietnamese firms to access the global market, especially the US and Europe, the Vice President stressed.

At the session, Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Dao Ngoc Dung presented the Prime Minister’s report elaborating Vietnam’s engagement in Convention 105.

He cited the Vietnamese legal system that bans forced labour in any forms and prescribes strict punishments against violations.

Vietnam’s joining the convention manifests its political commitments to seriously fulfilling ILO membership obligations and other commitments in new-generation free trade agreements, the minister said.

In his assessment report, Nguyen Van Giau, head of the NA’s Committee for External Relations, said most of the lawmakers agreed on the necessity of joining Convention 105 which, they said, is in accordance with guidelines of the Party and the State.

They proposed the Government issue regulations detailing forms of forced labour, thus creating a transparent legal corridor for law enforcement agencies, employees and employers to materialise the convention.