C138, Minimum Age Convention, 1973
Convention Concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment
Member states of the Convention.
  16
  15
  14
Drafted26 June 1973
Effective19 June 1976
Condition2 ratifications
Ratifiers176
DepositaryDirector-General of the International Labour Office
LanguagesFrench and English

The ILO Convention Concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment C138,[1] is a convention adopted in 1973 by the International Labour Organization. It requires ratifying states to pursue a national policy designed to ensure the effective abolition of child labour and to raise progressively the minimum age for admission to employment or work. It is one of eight ILO fundamental conventions. Convention C138 replaces several similar ILO conventions in specific fields of labour.

Minimum ages

Countries are free to specify a minimum age for labour, with a minimum of 15 years. A declaration of 14 years is also possible when for a specified period of time. Laws may also permit light work for children aged 13–15 (not harming their health or school work). The minimum age of 18 years is specified for work which "is likely to jeopardise the health, safety or morals of young persons". Definitions of the type of work and derogations are only possible after tripartite consultations (if such a system exists in the ratifying country).

Effect on other conventions

The convention is a revision of several conventions for workers in specific areas. Upon entry into force, some of these conventions were closed for ratification and becoming a party to this convention automatically resulted in denunciation of the older ones. An overview of older minimum age conventions of ILO is shown below:

ILO codeFieldconclusion dateentry into forceclosure for signature/withdrawalParties
(January 2023)		Denunciations
(January 2023)		Revising convention(s)Text and ratifications references
C5Industry28 November 191913 June 1921N.A.171C59, this convention[2][3]
C7Sea7 July 192027 September 192119 June 2021[4]152C58, this convention, MLC[5]
C10Agriculture16 November 192131 August 1923N.A.451this convention[6][7]
C15trimmers and stokers11 November 192120 November 1922N.A.762this convention[8][9]
C33Non-Industrial Employment (revised)30 April 19326 June 193529 December 1950223C60, this convention[10][11]
C58Sea (revised)24 October 193611 April 1939N.A.645this convention, MLC[12][13]
C59Industry (revised)22 June 193721 February 194119 June 1976828this convention[14][15]
C60Non-Industrial Employment22 June 193729 December 1950N.A.011this convention[16][17]
C112Fishermen19 June 19597 November 1961N.A.227this convention, Work in Fishing Convention[18][19]
C123Underground Work22 June 196510 November 1967N.A.2120this convention[20][21]

Ratifications

Minimum ages defined by states

  14 (32%)
  15 (43%)
  16 (25%)

ILO Convention C138 entered into force one year after deposition of the first two ratifications (Cuba and Libya). As of July 2023 176 countries have ratified Convention C138. Initially, however, the pace of ratification of this convention was extremely slow. Therefore, an alternative Convention with a more limited scope was initiated in 1999.[22] It concerns ILO Convention 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour.

Convention C138 enters into force for a ratifying country one year after ratification. This can be denounced every 10 years in the year after 10 years have passed (e.g. 19 June 2027 – 19 June 2028).

The following countries have ratified this convention:
Country Date Minimum age (years)
Afghanistan 7 April 2010 14
Albania 16 February 1998 16
Algeria 30 April 1984 16
Angola 13 June 2001 14
Antigua and Barbuda 17 March 1983 16
Argentina 11 November 1996 14
Armenia 27 January 2006 16
Australia 13 June 2023 15
Austria 18 September 2000 15
Azerbaijan 19 May 1992 16
Bahamas 31 October 2001 14
Bahrain 7 March 2012 15
Bangladesh 22 March 2022 14
Barbados 4 January 2000 15
Belarus (as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic) 3 May 1979 16
Belgium 19 April 1988 15
Belize 6 March 2000 14
Benin 11 June 2001 14
Bolivia 11 June 1997 14
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2 June 1993 15
Botswana 5 June 1997 14
Brazil 28 June 2001 16
Brunei 17 June 2011 16
Bulgaria 23 April 1980 16
Burkina Faso 11 February 1999 15
Burundi 19 July 2000 16
Cambodia 23 August 1999 14
Cameroon 13 August 2001 14
Canada 8 June 2016 16
Cape Verde 7 February 2011 15
Central African Republic 28 June 2000 14
Chad 21 March 2005 14
Chile 1 February 1999 15
China 28 April 1999 16
Colombia 2 February 2001 14
Comoros 17 March 2004 15
Congo 26 November 1999 14
Costa Rica 11 June 1976 15
Côte d'Ivoire 7 February 2003 14
Croatia 8 October 1991 15
Cuba 7 March 1975 15
Cyprus 2 October 1997 15
Czech Republic 26 April 2007 15
Democratic Republic of the Congo 20 June 2001 14
Denmark 13 November 1997 15
Djibouti 14 June 2005 16
Dominica 27 September 1983 15
Dominican Republic 15 June 1999 14
Ecuador 19 September 2000 14
Egypt 9 June 1999 14
El Salvador 23 January 1996 14
Equatorial Guinea 12 June 1985 14
Eritrea 22 February 2000 14
Estonia 15 March 2007 15
Ethiopia 27 May 1999 14
Fiji 3 January 2003 15
Finland 13 January 1976 15
France 13 July 1990 16
Gabon 25 October 2010 16
Gambia 4 September 2000 14
Ghana 6 June 2011 15
Georgia 23 September 1996 15
Germany 8 April 1976 15
Greece 14 March 1986 15
Grenada 14 May 2003 16
Guatemala 27 April 1990 14
Guinea 6 June 2003 16
Guinea-Bissau 5 March 2009 14
Guyana 15 April 1998 15
Haiti 5 March 2009 14
Honduras 9 June 1980 14
Hungary 28 May 1998 16
Iceland 6 December 1999 15
India 13 June 2017 14
Indonesia 7 June 1999 15
Iraq 13 February 1985 15
Ireland 22 June 1978 16
Israel 21 June 1979 15
Italy 28 July 1981 15
Jamaica 13 October 2003 15
Japan 5 June 2000 15
Jordan 23 March 1998 16
Kazakhstan 18 May 2001 16
Kenya 9 April 1979 16
Kiribati 17 June 2009 14
South Korea 28 January 1999 15
Kuwait 15 November 1999 15
Kyrgyzstan 31 March 1992 16
Laos 13 June 2005 14
Latvia 2 June 2006 15
Lebanon 10 June 2003 14
Lesotho 14 June 2001 15
Liberia 13 June 2022 15
Libya 19 June 1975 15
Lithuania 22 June 1998 16
Luxembourg 24 March 1977 15
Macedonia 17 November 1991 15
Madagascar 31 May 2000 15
Malawi 19 November 1999 14
Malaysia 9 September 1997 15
Maldives 4 January 2013 16
Mali 11 March 2002 15
Malta 9 June 1988 16
Mauritania 3 December 2001 14
Mauritius 30 July 1990 15
Mexico 10 June 2015 15
Moldova 21 September 1999 16
Montenegro 3 June 2006 15
Mongolia 16 December 2002 15
Morocco 6 January 2000 15
Mozambique 16 June 2003 15
Myanmar 8 June 2020 14
Namibia 15 November 2000 14
Nepal 30 May 1997 14
Netherlands (European territory) 14 September 1976 15
Netherlands (Aruba) 18 February 1986[23] 15
Nicaragua 2 November 1981 14
Niger 4 December 1978 14
Nigeria 2 October 2002 15
Norway 8 July 1980 15
Oman 21 July 2005 15
Pakistan 6 July 2006 14
Panama 31 October 2000 14
Papua New Guinea 2 June 2000 16
Paraguay 3 March 2004 14
Peru 13 November 2002 14
Philippines 4 June 1998 15
Poland 22 March 1978 15
Portugal 20 May 1998 16
Qatar 3 January 2006 16
Romania 19 November 1975 16
Russia (as the Soviet Union) 3 May 1979 16
Rwanda 15 April 1981 14
Saint Kitts and Nevis 3 June 2005 16
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 25 July 2006 14
Samoa 29 October 2008 15
San Marino 1 February 1995 16
São Tomé and Príncipe 4 May 2005 14
Saudi Arabia 2 April 2014 15
Senegal 15 December 1999 15
Serbia (as Serbia and Montenegro) 24 November 2000 15
Seychelles 7 March 2000 15
Sierra Leone 13 June 2011 16
Singapore 7 November 2005 15
Slovakia 29 September 1997 15
Slovenia 29 May 1992 15
Solomon Islands 22 April 2013 14
South Africa 30 March 2000 16
South Sudan 29 April 2012 14
Spain 16 May 1977 16
Sri Lanka 11 February 2000 14
Sudan 7 March 2003 14
Suriname 15 January 2018 16
Swaziland 23 October 2002 15
Sweden 23 April 1990 15
Switzerland 17 August 1999 15
Syria 18 September 2001 15
Tajikistan 26 November 1993 16
Tanzania 16 December 1998 14
Thailand 11 May 2004 15
Togo 16 March 1984 14
Trinidad and Tobago 3 September 2004 16
Tunisia 19 October 1995 16
Turkey 30 October 1998 15
Turkmenistan 27 March 2012 16
Uganda 25 March 2003 14
Ukraine (as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic) 3 May 1979 16
United Arab Emirates 2 October 1998 15
United Kingdom 7 June 2000 16
Uruguay 2 June 1977 15
Uzbekistan 6 March 2009 15
Venezuela 15 July 1987 14
Vietnam 24 June 2003 15
Vanuatu 24 June 2019 14
Yemen 15 June 2000 14
Zambia 9 February 1976 15
Zimbabwe 6 June 2000 14

References

  1. ↑ 1973 ILO Convention C138: Minimum Age Convention (Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment)(58th Conference Session Geneva 1973), 1015 United Nations Treaty Series, p. 297.
  2. ↑ "Convention C005 - Minimum Age (Industry) Convention, 1919 (No. 5)". www.ilo.org.
  3. ↑ "Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications by Convention". www.ilo.org.
  4. ↑ "Withdrawal of Convention 7 withdrawal of minimum age (sea) convention, 1920 (No. 7)" (PDF). ILO. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  5. ↑ "Convention C007 - Minimum Age (Sea) Convention, 1920 (No. 7)". www.ilo.org.
  6. ↑ "Convention C010 - Minimum Age (Agriculture) Convention, 1921 (No. 10)". www.ilo.org.
  7. ↑ "Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications by Convention". www.ilo.org.
  8. ↑ "Convention C015 - Minimum Age (Trimmers and Stokers) Convention, 1921 (No. 15)". www.ilo.org.
  9. ↑ "Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications by Convention". www.ilo.org.
  10. ↑ "Convention C033 - Minimum Age (Non-Industrial Employment) Convention, 1932 (No. 33)". www.ilo.org.
  11. ↑ "Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications by Convention". www.ilo.org.
  12. ↑ "Convention C058 - Minimum Age (Sea) Convention (Revised), 1936 (No. 58)". www.ilo.org.
  13. ↑ "Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications by Convention". www.ilo.org.
  14. ↑ "Convention C059 - Minimum Age (Industry) Convention (Revised), 1937 (No. 59)". www.ilo.org.
  15. ↑ "Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications by Convention". www.ilo.org.
  16. ↑ "Convention C060 - Minimum Age (Non-Industrial Employment) Convention (Revised), 1937 (No. 60)". www.ilo.org.
  17. ↑ "Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications by Convention". www.ilo.org.
  18. ↑ "Convention C112 - Minimum Age (Fishermen) Convention, 1959 (No. 112)". www.ilo.org.
  19. ↑ "Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications by Convention". www.ilo.org.
  20. ↑ "Convention C123 - Minimum Age (Underground Work) Convention, 1965 (No. 123)". www.ilo.org.
  21. ↑ "Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications by Convention". www.ilo.org.
  22. ↑ Nissen, A. (15 June 2018). "Can WTO Member States Rely on Citizen Concerns to Prevent Corporations from Importing Goods Made from Child Labour?". Utrecht Law Review. 14 (2): 70. doi:10.18352/ulr.436. hdl:10535/10409. p. 74 referring to 1999 ILO Convention C182: Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour), 2133 United Nations Treaty Series, p. 163
  23. ↑ Verdragenbank Archived 2 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands
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