On 18 June 2021, the Government of Peru ratified the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), becoming the 5th State in Latin America and the first among the Andean Community countries to ratify this Protocol.

The Protocol requires States to adopt effective measures to prevent, punish and eliminate forced labour in all its forms, including actions to protect victims and ensure their access to justice and remedies, with special attention to victims of trafficking in persons.

The representative of the Government of Peru in Geneva, Ambassador Silvia Alfaro Espinosa declared: “The ratification of the 2014 Protocol expresses the firm will of the Peruvian State to eradicate forced labour and contemporary forms of slavery in accordance with international standards, while reiterating the commitment made as an Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder Country, in order to accelerate policies to eradicate forced labour in compliance with Target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals. This is a major step towards consolidating the foundations of a solid policy framework that requires further development and resources for its proper and timely implementation.”

The Director-General of the International Labour Organization, Guy Ryder, welcomed the political will shown by the Government of Peru and the social partners in the fight against all forms of forced labour and the protection of fundamental principles and rights at work, which is crucial to build back better our societies during and after the pandemic.

The Peruvian State, with the impetus of the National Commission for the Fight against Forced Labour, and with the technical assistance of the ILO through the Bridge Project, has made significant progress in combating forced labour. One of them is the criminalisation of forced labour, approved in 2017. This has been complemented by a series of actions to strengthen the capacity of justice operators to promote effective access to justice for victims.

Peru has also approved instruments to implement public policy against forced labour such as the Intersectoral Protocol against Forced Labour (2014) and the III National Plan to Combat Forced Labour 2019-2022. The Plan is the result of a tripartite consultation process at the national and local levels carried out with the technical support of the Bridge Project.

With regard to the identification of cases, it is worth highlighting the approval of the Forced Labour Inspection Protocol of the SUNAFIL (National Superintendency of Labour Oversight) (2016); the creation of the Forced Labour Inspection Specialized Group; and the approval of the Protocol for the Public Prosecutor’s Office for their actions in the prevention, investigation and punishment of cases of forced labour (2021).

Currently, the National Commission, with the support of the ILO, is developing the first survey on the prevalence of forced labour in Cusco, and has initiated the process for the formulation of the national policy to prevent and eradicate forced labour. The Bridge Project also provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Labour in the development of research to characterize forced labour and in the formulation of the first pilot project to promote the reintegration of victims of forced labour and other forms of modern slavery into the labour market.

The ratification of the Protocol is therefore an opportunity to continue and strengthen the actions initiated by the State in the fight against forced labour.