Observation (CEACR) - adoptée 2024, publiée 113ème session CIT (2025)

Convention (n° 111) concernant la discrimination (emploi et profession), 1958 - Islande (Ratification: 1963)

Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention. Prohibited grounds of discrimination. Further to its previous comment, the Committee notes that Act No. 86/2018 on Equal Treatment on the Labour Market still does not cover all the grounds of discrimination listed in Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention, namely the grounds of colour, political opinion, national extraction and social origin. The Committee further notes that, in its report, the Government indicates that according to article 65 of the Constitution, “everyone shall be equal before the law and enjoy human rights irrespective of sex, religion, opinion, national origin, race, colour, property, birth or other status. Men and women shall enjoy equal rights in all respects”. In this respect, the Committee recalls that general Constitutional provisions, while important, have generally not proven to be sufficient to address specific cases of discrimination in employment and occupation (see the 2012 General Survey on the fundamental Conventions, paragraph 851). The Committee once again asks the Government to take the necessary steps to amend Act No. 86/2018 with a view to ensuring that workers are protected, both in law and practice, from both direct and indirect discrimination on all the prohibited grounds of discrimination enumerated in Article 1(1)(a) of the Convention, including colour, political opinion, national extraction and social origin. The Committee asks the Government to provide information on any progress made in this regard.

The Committee is raising other matters in a request addressed directly to the Government.