#CostaRica 🇨🇷 #BDS_LaborAlert: ILO Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment in the World of Work Approved in Second Debate
On Wednesday, August 20, the Legislative Assembly approved Convention No. 190 of the International...
On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, through Item No. 125 of the Official Gazette No. 182, Act No. 10749 was published, ratifying Convention 190 (C190) of the International Labor Organization (ILO), following its recent approval in second discussion by the Legislative Assembly in August 2025 under file No. 22,569.
Convention 190 is the first global instrument to recognize every person’s right to a world of work free from violence and harassment. Its protection extends to employees, interns, volunteers, jobseekers, and even employers, and it underscores the gender dimension of such conduct, strengthening equality and decent work as pillars of healthy work environments.
The incorporation of this Convention into Costa Rica’s legal framework marks a historic milestone. It commits the State to developing public policies and legal reforms aimed at preventing, addressing, and penalizing violence and harassment across all sectors—public and private, formal and informal. Moreover, as an international treaty, it holds supra-legal status, meaning it stands above ordinary legislation within Costa Rican labor law.
However, it should be noted that, pursuant to Article 14 of the Convention, its entry into force for Costa Rica will occur twelve months after the official registration of this ratification with the ILO.
In this context, it is essential for workplaces to begin reviewing and updating their internal regulations and workplace-harassment protocols to ensure effective and timely compliance with the Convention’s provisions.
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