Observation on submission to competent authorities (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Vanuatu

Serious failure to submit. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government in August 2025, indicating that on 30 May 2025 the following instruments were presented to the Tripartite Labour Advisory Council (TLAC): the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930; the Forced Labour (Supplementary Measures) Recommendation, 2014 (No. 203); the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190); the Violence and Harassment Recommendation, 2019 (No. 206); the Safe and Healthy Working Environment (Consequential Amendments) Convention, 2023 (No. 191); and the Safe and Healthy Working Environment (Consequential Amendments) Recommendation, 2023 (No. 207). The Government adds that, following these consultations, the tripartite constituents recommended that Conventions Nos 190 and 191 be submitted to the Parliament for ratification and it is anticipated that the bills concerning the ratification will be presented to Parliament by November 2025. Further tripartite consultations are planned regarding the 2014 Protocol to Convention No. 29, and Recommendations Nos 203, 206 and 207, which will be brought before the Parliament for consideration. In this context, the Committee recalls once more that the constitutional obligation of submission is of the highest importance and is a fundamental element of the standards system of the ILO. While acknowledging the efforts undertaken by the Government to have the above-mentioned instruments examined by the Tripartite Labour Advisory Council, the Committee observes that their submission to the competent authority, i.e. the Parliament of Vanuatu, has still to take place. In these circumstances, the Committee once again expresses the firm hope, as did the Conference Committee in June 2016, June 2017, June 2018, June 2019, June 2021, June 2022, June 2023, June 2024 and June 2025 that the Government will comply with its constitutional obligation to submit Conventions, Recommendations and Protocols to the competent authority as soon as possible and inform the Office accordingly. The Committee firmly urges the Government to provide information on the submission to the Parliament of Vanuatu of the 18 instruments adopted by the Conference at 12 sessions held between 2003 and 2019 (91st, 92nd, 94th, 95th, 96th, 99th, 100th, 101st, 103rd, 104th, 106th and 108th Sessions). It also reiterates its requests that the Government provide information on the submission of the Safe and Healthy Working Environment (Consequential Amendments) Convention (No. 191) and Recommendation (No. 207), 2023, and the Quality Apprenticeships Recommendation, 2023 (No. 208), adopted by the Conference at its 111th Session.

The Committee once again recalls that the Government may request the technical assistance of the Office, if it so wishes, to assist it in achieving compliance with its obligations under article 19 of the ILO Constitution with respect to the submission to the competent authorities of the instruments adopted by the Conference.