On 12 June 2023, the Government of Brunei Darussalam deposited the instrument of ratification of the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930, thereby becoming the 61st country in the world to ratify this important instrument. Through this ratification, the Government of Brunei Darussalam has made a formal commitment to apply this international instrument, which gives fresh impetus to the fight against forced labour in all its forms, including trafficking in persons.
According to the ILO's latest global estimates, 27.6 million people are in forced labour, of which 17.3 million are exploited in the private sector; 6.3 million in forced commercial sexual exploitation, and 3.9 million in forced labour imposed by state. The Forced Labour Protocol requires ratifying states to take effective measures to prevent all forms of forced labour, to protect victims and ensure their access to justice, effective legal remedies and compensation, and to apply appropriate sanctions against perpetrators of forced labour.
The instrument of ratification was received by the ILO Assistant Director-General, Ms Manuela Tomei. On depositing the instrument, the Honourable Dato Seri Setia Haji Ahmaddin Bin Haji Abdul Rahman, Minister of Home Affairs, said: "This ratification marks a milestone in our ongoing efforts to protect the rights of our workers and combat the heinous practices of forced labour and human trafficking. The Government will continue to uphold the highest standard of labour and protect workers' rights, against forced labour and combat human trafficking by promoting, adopting and enacting legislation and cooperating with other countries."
In this regard, at the national level, the Government of Brunei Darussalam has made significant efforts to combat trafficking in persons, by adopting the Anti-trafficking in Persons Order of 2019, which prohibits trafficking in persons and children, including for both labour and sexual exploitation.
To date, Brunei Darussalam has ratified 3 Conventions.
