Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) - Sint Maarten

Articles 1(1), 2(1) and 25 of the Convention. Action to prevent trafficking in persons. The Committee takes note of the information provided by the Government in its report on the measures taken to prevent trafficking in persons. It notes in particular: (i) the reactivation of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Human Smuggling and Trafficking, (ii) the launch of a national public awareness campaign to inform, educate, and empower people to recognize and denounce signs of exploitation, in 2024; (iii) the participation of labour inspectors in training on the detection of trafficking and forced labour; (iv) the development of unified referral protocols and victim support strategies; v() the integration of specific indicators of forced labour into the labour inspection routines, particularly in sectors historically prone to exploitation, such as construction, hotels, restaurants, and casinos, and adult entertainment. The Government also states that there are limitations in resources. The Labour Inspectorate operates with reduced staff, and challenges such as limited mobility, data systems, and access to emergency victim support persist.

The Committee also notes that policy and legislation regarding human trafficking is listed under the legislative priorities identified in the Government´s Programme for 2024–2028, providing for the strengthening of measures to combat trafficking and protect victims, particularly in the entertainment sector. The Committee encourages the Government to continue taking measures to prevent forced labour and trafficking in persons, and to ensure the proper identification and prosecution of such cases. It requests the Government to provide information in this regard, including on: (i) the activities carried out by the Inter-Ministerial Task Force on Human Smuggling and Trafficking; (ii) the inspections conducted in sectors at risk, such as the entertainment sector; and (iii) the victims identified and the protection provided.