Letter to the Committee from the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office on ILO Conventions
Thank you for your letter of 14 September asking
for factual information about China.
The International Labour Organisation in Geneva
have confirmed that, as of 27 September, the Chinese position
on the six ILO Conventions of interest to the Committee is:
Ratified:
ILO Convention 138—Minimum Age Convention
1973.
Ratification to be considered after changes to
domestic law:
ILO Convention 111—Discrimination (Employment
and Occupation) Convention 1958.
Ratification not yet considered:
ILO Convention 29—Forced Labour Convention
1930.
ILO Convention 87—Freedom of Association and
Protection of the Right to Organise Convention 1948.
ILO Convention 98—The Right to Organise and
Collective Bargaining Convention 1949.
ILO Convention 105—Abolition of Forced Labour
Convention 1957.
The Chinese Government have said that prevailing
economic and social conditions in China have militated against
consideration of the ratification of ILO Conventions 29, 87, 98
and 105. The United Kingdom Government hopes that they will decide
to ratify them.
VISIT BY
UN SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR
ON TORTURE
Sir Nigel Rodley, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
is still in negotiation with the Chinese authorities about his
possible visit. We understand that outstanding points include
acceptance by the Chinese authorities of the terms of reference
for visits by UN Special Rapporteurs, and specific elements of
his proposed itinerary. Failure to reach agreement on these points
prevented a visit taking place in May 2000. A visit before the
end of this year looks highly unlikely.
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