ILO Commends Belize for Meeting Labour Standards Obligation

Belize has been formally commended by the International Labour Organization (ILO) for fulfilling its constitutional obligation to submit international labour standards to the National Assembly.

In a statement issued today, the Government of Belize said the recognition comes from the ILO Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations, which acknowledged the country’s compliance with its duty under Article 19 of the ILO Constitution.

In September 2025, the Government, through its Labour Department, submitted 43 international labour instruments, including Conventions, Recommendations and Protocols adopted between 1990 and 2019, to the House of Representatives and the Senate. The submission addressed a backlog of pending instruments and marked a significant step toward aligning Belize’s domestic processes with international labour obligations.

The ILO Committee noted “with satisfaction” the government’s action, specifically referencing the September 12th and 15th, 2025 submissions to both chambers of the National Assembly.

Further progress was made earlier this week when Belize submitted three additional instruments adopted at the 111th Session of the International Labour Conference: the Safe and Healthy Working Environment (Consequential Amendments) Convention, 2023 (No. 191); the Safe and Healthy Working Environment Recommendation, 2023 (No. 207); and the Quality Apprenticeships Recommendation, 2023 (No. 208).

Those instruments were tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, by Minister of Immigration, Governance and Labour, Kareem Musa.

In response to the commendation, Minister Musa welcomed the ILO’s recognition and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to labour reform. “Belize takes seriously its responsibilities as a member of the International Labour Organization,” Musa said. “By ensuring the submission of these international labour standards to the National Assembly, we are reinforcing our commitment to transparency, good governance, and the protection of workers’ rights.”

The ILO Committee of Experts, in its observation, commended Belize for “fully meeting its constitutional obligation of submission.”