On 6 October 2023, Norway deposited the instrument of ratification of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) with the Director-General of the ILO. By submitting the instrument of ratification, Norway becomes the 33rd country in the world to ratify Convention No. 190.
Convention No. 190 is a landmark instrument. It is the first international labour standard to address violence and harassment in the world of work. Together with Recommendation No. 206, it provides a common framework for action and a unique opportunity to shape a future of work based on dignity and respect. These instruments will be key to achieve the objectives set by the ILO Centenary Declaration on the Future of Work, adopted in 2019, that clearly commits to a world of work free from violence and harassment, and more recently, and by the ILO's Global call to action for a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis that is inclusive, sustainable and resilient.
The Convention affirms that everyone has the right to a world of work free from violence and harassment. It also provides for the first internationally agreed definition of violence and harassment in the world of work, including of gender-based violence, understood as "a range of unacceptable behaviours and practices" that "aim at, result in, or are likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm".
The Convention also requires ratifying Member States to adopt, in consultation with representative employers' and workers' organizations, an inclusive, integrated and gender-responsive approach to preventing and eliminating violence and harassment, through prevention, protection and enforcement measures and remedies, as well as guidance, training and awareness-raising. The Convention and its accompanying Recommendation are tangible evidence of the enduring value and strength of social dialogue and tripartism, which have shaped them and will be essential in implementing them at national level.
In depositing the official instrument of ratification at the ceremony held at the ILO in Geneva, Ambassador Tormod C. Endresen, Permanent Representative of Norway to the United Nations and other International Organisations in Geneva, stated: "I am pleased to deposit the instrument of ratification of ILO Convention No. 190, which recognizes the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment. I particularly note that this convention includes measures to prevent and address gender-based violence in the world of work."
In receiving the instrument of ratification of Convention No. 190, ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo underlined the significant role played by Norway throughout the standard setting process, particularly in supporting the adoption of ILO instruments on violence and harassment and shaping consensus on the issues addressed both in Convention No. 190 and Recommendation No. 206. Noting that it is particularly important in the current global social and economic context to pursue the fight against violence and harassment, a pervasive phenomenon that can affect all persons in the world of work in all sectors and all countries, he said: "I wish to highlight the tireless efforts of Norway to tackle the root causes of violence and harassment, including all forms of discrimination, at all levels. Addressing specific risks of violence and harassment in the world of work is key to promote a human-centered response and recovery that tackles injustice and supports the building of a better normal. By ratifying Convention No. 190, Norway commits to the creation of a world of work free from violence and harassment, based on dignity and respect for all. This ratification represents a step forward towards the engagements made by the International Labour Conference in the 2019 Centenary Declaration, in particular the commitment to a world of work free from violence and harassment."
