European Union

Statement

International Labour Conference

113^th session

Geneva, 2-13 June 2025

________

Committee on Application of Standards

Zambia

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29)

(ratification: 1964)

________

Geneva, 5 June 2025

- CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY -

International Labour Conference

113th Session

Geneva, June 2025

Committee on the Application of Standards

Zambia

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29)

Thank you, Chair. 

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The candidate countries North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina* and the EFTA countries Iceland and Norway members of the European Economic Area align themselves with this statement.

1. The EU and its Member States are committed to the promotion, protection, respect and fulfilment of human rights, including labour rights. We promote universal ratification and effective implementation of fundamental ILO Conventions and support the ILO in developing and promoting international labour standards and supervising their application.

2. We note that the Committee requested information on the measures taken to implement the National Policy on Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants and achieve its objectives. We welcome the clarifications provided by the Government on 18^th May in this regard. We are deeply concerned, however, about the reported increase in cases of trafficking, including that of women and young men. 

3. We commend the efforts of the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services (MCDSS) to provide protection and assistance to victims of trafficking, including through the establishment of six places of safety. We regret that the Anti-Human Trafficking Fund, designed for the rehabilitation and reintegration of victims, is not yet operational. 

4. We urge the Government to intensify its efforts to ensure the effective identification of victims of trafficking for both sexual and labour exploitation, and to provide them with appropriate and adequate protection and assistance, including through the National Referral Mechanism and its Guidelines and the operationalisation of the Anti-Human Trafficking Fund. We note the Government’s clarifications on the number of identified victims and the nature of the support provided in 2024. 

5. We recall that the Government of Zambia had benefited from the assistance of the ILO, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) within the framework of a European Commission funded project, with the objective of providing training and capacity building to the social partners and labour inspectors on trafficking. We acknowledge the efforts of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement officials and in particular the training of 2,204 law enforcement officers in 2024. We also commend the establishment of the Witness Management Fund, which offers logistical support to witnesses and victims called to testify in all cases prosecuted by the NPA, as well as the adoption of the Anti-Human Trafficking (Amendment) Act, 2022 to strengthen the coordination and cooperation between several stakeholders in the fight against trafficking in persons. 

6. While we acknowledge these positive steps, we remain concerned about the low number of investigations, convictions and sanctioning of perpetrators in cases of trafficking of women, including for forced domestic work and sexual exploitation, documented in the 2023 concluding observations of the United Nations Human Rights Committee. We note the information shared by the Government, which indicates that in 2024, 41 cases of trafficking were investigated, 22 individuals were prosecuted, and 5 convictions were secured. It is crucial for national institutions to be effective and capable of delivering tangible results. We therefore encourage the Government to continue its efforts to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement officials in order to investigate and prosecute all cases of trafficking. We note the efforts of the Anti-Human Trafficking Department to promote awareness and strengthen implementation of the Anti-Human Trafficking Act.

7. We recall that the Committee has repeatedly raised concerns regarding the National Service Act of 1971, which permits compulsory national service of a non-military character, in violation of Article 2(2)(a) of Convention No.29. We note with concern that the Committee considers that the Government has not yet undertaken the necessary amendments to its national legislation in this regard. We also take note of the Government’s response on this issue.  

8. The EU and its Member States encourage the Government of Zambia to further strengthen its cooperation with the ILO, the social partners, civil society, and the international community in order to address the issues of forced labour in the country.

9. We will continue to follow the situation closely and remain ready to support efforts aimed at ensuring compliance with international labour standards and the protection of individuals from trafficking.

Thank you, Chair.

*North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.