UAE ratifies International Forced Labour Protocol

ABU DHABI, 18th January, 2026 (WAM) — On 15th January 2026, the United Arab Emirates ratified the ILO Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, becoming the sixty third country worldwide and the second among members of the Gulf Cooperation Council to ratify this instrument. With this ratification, the UAE is demonstrating its firm commitment to combating forced labour in all its forms, including human trafficking.

Overwhelmingly adopted during the 2014 International Labour Conference, the Protocol reinforces the international legal framework for combating forced labour. It commits States Parties to take measures to combat forced labour, including trafficking in persons, debt bondage, or forced domestic labour, sanction the perpetrators, and protect victims, including by ensuring their access to justice and effective legal remedies.

In this regard, Jamal Al Musharakh, UAE Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Other International Organisations in Geneva, stated that “The ratification of the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention reflects the UAE’s unwavering commitment to the promotion and protection of fundamental principles and rights at work.

“In a society where more than 200 nationalities live, work, and thrive, migrant workers are integral to our nation’s development. The UAE values its longstanding cooperation with the ILO and will continue to take significant steps to ensure workers’ rights and combat human trafficking and forced labour through comprehensive legal frameworks and policies aligned with international standards.”

Receiving the instrument of ratification of the Protocol 029, the ILO Director-General expressed his appreciation for “the deposit of the instrument of ratification of the 2014 Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930,” emphasising that this step “once again reflects the UAE’s firm commitment to combating forced labour and upholding fundamental principles and rights at work”.

He also indicated that “he was pleased to receive the instrument of ratification, which highlights the UAE’s tangible contribution to advancing decent work and supporting the achievement of the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.”

The Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention will enter into force in the UAE one year after the instrument of ratification is deposited with the ILO. To date, the UAE has ratified nine Conventions.