On 29 April 2026, Law No. 60 of 10 April 2026 was published in the Official Gazette, whereby the Italian Parliament ratified and gave effect to the Protocol to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) No. 29 concerning forced and compulsory labour, adopted in Geneva on 11 June 2014. The Protocol supplements and updates Convention No. 29 of 1930, strengthening States’ obligations to prevent and combat forced and compulsory labour.

The phenomenon affects over 25 million victims worldwide, who are often deprived of legal protection and lack access to pathways out of marginalisation. An ILO report from 2024 estimates that forced labour generates $236 billion a year, 37% more than 10 years ago. The largest share of illicit profits (73%) comes from commercial sexual exploitation. Although this affects fewer victims than other forms of exploitation, it generates the highest average profit per victim. The next highest volume of illicit earnings comes from industry, services, agriculture and domestic work.

Compared to the 1930 Convention, which focused on suppressing the phenomenon, the Protocol introduces specific measures regarding:

• providing education and information about forced or compulsory labour for people who may be targeted by such offers (with particular attention to migrant workers), as well as employers who may be involved in such practices (Art. 2); 
• strengthening labour inspection services (Art. 2);
• the protection of victims, including compensation for material and physical harm regardless of their legal status (Art. 3).

The ratification of the Protocol remains limited among ILO member states: while 181 of the 187 member States have ratified the Convention, only 65 States have ratified the 2014 Protocol. This reflects the slowness of national legislative processes and is a situation that has also affected Italy. In fact, Italy’s ratification came almost twelve years after the Protocol’s adoption. This delay is not due to an underestimation of the problem, but rather to the existence of a domestic regulatory framework geared towards combatting labour exploitation. The Ministry of Labour and Social Policies (MLPS) recognises the significance of the issue in Italy, particularly for migrant workers in the agricultural sector. 

In line with Art. 1 of ILO Protocol No. 29, which commits States to adopting a national policy and action plan to combat the issue, the MLPS’s strategy involves coordinating national and European resources during the 2021-2027 programming period. The aim is to fund various interventions across different regions and sectors through a multi-level, territorial governance approach involving institutions, local authorities and social actors. Operational activities include task force inspections involving cultural mediators and multidisciplinary teams to improve the identification of victims and strengthen their protection.

In terms of concrete impact, it remains difficult to determine whether the ILO instrument has actually brought about change in the world of work. Regarding the Italian context, the institutional narrative suggests that multi-annual programming has strengthened the network combating labour exploitation, particularly in agriculture, but it is still too early to consider it an effective tool for reducing the phenomenon.