Belize Commended by ILO for Meeting Labour Standards Obligations

The Government of Belize, through the Labour Department, has achieved a key milestone in meeting its obligations under the International Labour Organization (ILO).  The ILO’s Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations commended Belize for fulfilling its constitutional requirement to submit international labour standards adopted by the International Labour Conference to the National Assembly.

In September 2025, the Government of Belize submitted 43 international labour instruments, covering conventions, recommendations, and protocols adopted between 1990 and 2019, to the House of Representatives and the Senate. These addressed previously outstanding submissions and strengthened Belize’s compliance with ILO requirements.  On March 10, Kareem Musa, Minister with responsibility for Immigration, Governance and labour, submitted additional instruments adopted at the 111th session of the International Labour Conference. These included the Safe and Healthy Working Environment Recommendation 2023 (No. 207) and the Quality Apprenticeships Recommendation 2023 (No. 208). Love News spoke with Kareem Musa on the commendation.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Immigration: “That is huge because I think that is the first time in our history that we have been in full compliance with the ILO Convention. As you know, those were two standards that were outstanding under the Article 19 of the ILO Convention. One that deals with quality apprenticeships and the other that deals with the Occupational Health and Safety. As you know, we recently passed in the House of Representatives, I believe it is still before the Senate, the OSH bill, which has been in the pipeline for over a decade already. And so we are very proud over at the Ministry of Labor to have this recognition coming from the ILO.”

The Ministry of Immigration, Governance and Labour reaffirmed its commitment to advancing decent work, enhancing labour governance, and ensuring Belize’s policies and laws remain aligned with international labour standards.