Republic of Moldova initiated the process to ratify the ILO Violence and Harassment Convention No. 190

ILO Convention No. 190 is a landmark instrument. It is the first international labour standard to address violence and harassment in the world of work. The Convention affirms that everyone has the right to a workplace free from abuse. It provides the first internationally agreed definition of violence and harassment in the world of work, including gender-based violence. The Convention defines violence and harassment 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”.

MP Angela Muntean-Pojoga opened the conference with the announcement that "the ratification process of ILO Convention 190 by the Republic of Moldova started today, stressing that the Convention is the first international labour standard to address violence and harassment in the world of work".

Corina Ajder, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection present at the event, mentioned that “the objective is to ratify Convention 190 in September 2023. With the support of the ILO, we have the necessary expertise to align Moldova's legislation with the Convention. We will ensure that the Labour Inspectorate has the tools and knowledge to respond more effectively to the problem of violence in the world of work”.

Together with Recommendation No. 206 , Convention No. 190 provides a clear and wide framework for action. These instruments – the first of the ILO’s second century – also reaffirm the ILO’s crucial standard-setting role. They are tangible evidence of the enduring value and strength of social dialogue and tripartism, and social dialogue and tripartism will be essential to implementing them at national level.

Nelea Rusu, ILO national project coordinator highlighted that the intention to ratify the convention by the Republic of Moldova represents an important step in the right direction to tackle violence and harassment at the workplace. She reiterated the ILO`s commitment to promote the ratification and support the implementation of Convention No. 190 and highlighted the important role of employers’ and workers’ organizations in supporting this process  so that together we can shape a future of work based on dignity and respect, free from violence and harassment and invited constituents, stakeholders and civil society actors to get involved.

These instruments will be key to achieve the objectives set by the ILO Centenary Declaration for 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 .

According to the presented roadmap, the Parliament will ratify the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190) in the autumn 2023 parliamentary session.