Ali Zuweid's Political Programme
Package of ratification and implementation laws · Health, Social Protection and the Family
Package for Ratifying International Labour Conventions C190 and C189
Two draft laws ratifying the Violence and Harassment Convention and the Domestic Workers Convention, with implementing provisions ensuring alignment of the Labour Law and protection in the public sector, domestic work, recruitment, social security and enforcement.
Executive summary
As of 7 October 2026, the International Labour Organization's official NORMLEX database lists both the Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), and the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), among the up-to-date conventions not ratified by Iraq. Convention No. 190 covers all public and private sectors and the formal and informal economies, while Convention No. 189 establishes an international minimum standard of rights for a category working within homes that requires regulation balancing workers' rights with the inviolability of the home.
The legislative timing is exceptionally favourable. On 25 July 2026, the Council of Representatives completed the first reading of the proposed first amendment to Labour Law No. (37) of 2015. The Council expressly stated that the proposal seeks to eliminate violence and harassment in the world of work and regulate domestic work by Iraqis and foreigners, as well as the recruitment and employment of foreign workers. In September 2026, the competent parliamentary committee continued reviewing the amendment with the Ministry of Labour, the International Labour Organization and social dialogue partners, discussing criminalization of harassment and violence and governance of recruitment and employment.
This document therefore does not propose a system parallel to the Labour Law. The package comprises a separate ratification law for Convention No. 190, a separate ratification law for Convention No. 189, and integrated implementing provisions suitable for incorporation into the ongoing Labour Law amendment, alongside a parallel process to align public service rules because Convention No. 190 is not confined to private-sector workers. For domestic work, protection extends to contracts, wages, rest, privacy, possession of documents, safety, social security, fair recruitment and inspection balanced with the inviolability of the home.
Conventions 190 and 189 give the state twelve months after registration of ratification before each becomes binding on Iraq. The package treats this interval as a period for legislative and institutional implementation, not waiting: instructions are issued, complaint and inspection channels prepared, domestic work contracts registered, and the Ministry of Labour coordinates with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Interior, the Service Council, judicial bodies and social dialogue partners.
Current legal position
Iraq's current framework principally rests on Labour Law No. (37) of 2015, governing employment relationships, wages, working hours, occupational safety and health, inspection and employment of foreign workers, and the Workers' Pension and Social Security Law No. (18) of 2023 for insurance protection. In March 2026, the Iraqi Gazette published Instructions No. (1) of 2026 on the Recruitment, Employment and Licensing of Foreign Workers in Iraq, providing a recent regulatory basis that can be linked to protection of migrant domestic workers.
Current regulation does not yet provide one complete system meeting every element of both conventions. Convention 190 requires protection extending to the world of work in its broad sense, including the public sector and people outside a conventional employment relationship. Convention 189 requires detailed domestic work rules on contracts, rest, accommodation, documents, recruitment, inspection and social security—areas the Council itself acknowledged in July 2026 needed inclusion in the Labour Law amendment.
| Instrument | International status | Iraq's status | Legislative implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILO C190 — Violence and Harassment, 2019 | Entered into force internationally on 25 June 2021 | Not ratified | Ratification law + alignment of labour, public service, safety and remedy legislation |
| ILO C189 — Domestic Workers, 2011 | Entered into force internationally on 5 September 2013 | Not ratified | Ratification law + a comprehensive domestic work chapter and regulation of recruitment, social security and inspection |
Constitutional and procedural basis
Article (61/Fourth) of the Constitution of the Republic of Iraq provides for ratification of international treaties and agreements to be regulated by a law enacted by a two-thirds majority of Council of Representatives members. The President of the Republic ratifies international treaties and agreements following Council approval under Article (73/Second), while the federal authority has exclusive responsibility for negotiating, signing and concluding international treaties and agreements under Article (110/First). Treaty Conclusion Law No. (35) of 2015 regulates the relevant domestic procedures.
International Labour Organization conventions use a 'ratification' mechanism registered with the Director-General of the International Labour Office. Each of Conventions 189 and 190 enters into force for the state twelve months after registration of ratification. Accordingly, the appropriate domestic instrument is a ratification law for each convention, followed by international deposit, alongside domestic legislative implementation before international entry into force.
Core obligations of the two conventions
| Subject | C190 | C189 | What Iraq needs to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | All sectors and the world of work in its broad sense | Everyone performing domestic work as an occupation | Extend protection beyond the conventional employment relationship and expressly regulate domestic work |
| Prohibition | Define and prohibit violence and harassment, including gender-based violence and harassment | Protect domestic workers against abuse, harassment and violence | Legal definitions, prohibition, non-retaliation, penalties and remedies |
| Prevention | Workplace policies, risk assessment and training | Safety, health and decent working conditions | Integrate psychosocial risks into occupational safety and adapt this to domestic work |
| Remedies | Complaints, investigation, compensation and protection against retaliation | Effective access to courts and complaint mechanisms | Confidential channels, labour courts, criminal referral where necessary, and assistance for migrant workers |
| Contract and time | — | A clear contract, equal treatment in working time and rest, and at least 24 consecutive hours of weekly rest | Written contract, documented pay, working and standby hours, leave and rest |
| Recruitment and migration | Protection of at-risk groups | A contract before crossing borders, agency regulation and retention of documents | Connect the Labour Law, the 2026 Instructions and anti-trafficking measures through one enforceable mechanism |
| Social protection | Appropriate support measures | Protection no less favourable than for workers generally, including maternity, with progressive implementation possible | Include domestic workers in social security through a household-appropriate contribution mechanism |
Structure of the proposed legislative package
- Convention No. 190 ratification law: grants legislative approval and identifies the bodies responsible for deposit, coordination and reporting.
- Convention No. 189 ratification law: grants legislative approval and connects ratification to safeguards for domestic work and recruitment.
- Incorporate implementing provisions into the ongoing amendment of Labour Law No. 37 of 2015: rather than create a parallel labour statute, the package uses the parliamentary process opened in 2026.
- Align public service rules: because Convention 190 includes the public sector, protection must not remain confined to the Labour Law. Binding rules are added to public service, disciplinary and public human-resource legislation.
- Coordinate social security, recruitment and anti-trafficking measures: prevents institutional duplication and connects the recruitment agency, employer, social security department and inspection function in a continuous process.
Draft Law Ratifying International Labour Organization Convention No. (190)
Pursuant to the Constitution and Treaty Conclusion Law No. (35) of 2015, the following Law is enacted:
Article (1) — Ratification
The Republic of Iraq ratifies the International Labour Organization Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190), adopted at the 108th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva on 21 June 2019, in the text deposited with the International Labour Organization.
Article (2) — Deposit and registration
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, shall complete constitutional and international procedures and deposit the instrument of ratification with the Director-General of the International Labour Office for registration, in accordance with Convention No. 190 and Treaty Conclusion Law No. (35) of 2015.
Article (3) — Domestic implementation
The competent federal bodies, each within its remit, shall take the legislative, regulatory and administrative measures necessary to implement the Convention's obligations, particularly prohibition of violence and harassment in the world of work, preventive procedures, access to remedies, protection of complainants and witnesses against retaliation, and integration of relevant psychosocial risks into occupational safety and health.
This Law shall not be interpreted as reducing any more favourable protection under the Constitution, applicable legislation or other international agreements to which Iraq is a party.
Article (4) — Reporting and social dialogue
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, coordinating with public bodies and the most representative employers' and workers' organizations, shall prepare the periodic national implementation report and establish a permanent mechanism for collecting non-identifying data, reviewing legislation and policies, and following observations issued by ILO supervisory bodies.
Article (5) — Commencement of international effect
The rule in Convention No. 190 that it enters into force for a member state twelve months after its ratification is registered with the Director-General of the International Labour Office shall be observed. This period shall be used to complete regulations, instructions, institutional training and complaint and enforcement procedures.
Article (6) — Publication
This Law and the Convention text shall be duly published in the Iraqi Gazette. Competent bodies shall make the approved Arabic text available to the public and implementing authorities.
Article (7) — Entry into force
This Law enters into force on publication in the Official Gazette, without prejudice to the date on which the Convention becomes internationally binding on Iraq following registration of ratification.
Draft Law Ratifying International Labour Organization Convention No. (189)
Pursuant to the Constitution and Treaty Conclusion Law No. (35) of 2015, the following Law is enacted:
Article (1) — Ratification
The Republic of Iraq ratifies the International Labour Organization Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189), adopted at the 100th Session of the International Labour Conference in Geneva on 16 June 2011, in the text deposited with the International Labour Organization.
Article (2) — Deposit and registration
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, shall deposit the instrument of ratification with the Director-General of the International Labour Office after constitutional and legal procedures are completed.
Article (3) — Implementation safeguards
Competent bodies shall take the measures necessary to ensure domestic workers enjoy labour rights substantively no less favourable than protection provided to workers generally, while considering the nature of work inside the home and the inviolability of the home and private life.
Measures shall include, in particular, a written contract understandable to the worker, regular wages, daily and weekly rest, the minimum wage where applicable, occupational safety and health, social security, freedom to retain identity and travel documents, protection against violence, harassment and forced labour, and regulation of recruitment and employment agencies.
Article (4) — Migrant domestic workers
The domestic system shall ensure that a migrant domestic worker recruited abroad receives, before travelling to Iraq for employment, an enforceable written job offer or contract specifying essential employment conditions. It shall prohibit unlawful charges to the worker and confiscation of passports or documents, and provide access to complaints, protection, safe departure and lawful changes to the contractual relationship where exploitation or serious breach is established.
Article (5) — Commencement of international effect
The rule in Convention No. 189 that it enters into force for a member state twelve months after ratification is registered with the Director-General of the International Labour Office shall be observed. Implementation, inspection, social protection and awareness instruments shall be completed during that period.
Article (6) — Publication
This Law and the Convention text shall be duly published in the Iraqi Gazette. The official text deposited with the International Labour Organization shall be the reference in the event of differing interpretations.
Article (7) — Entry into force
This Law enters into force on publication in the Official Gazette, without prejudice to the date the international obligation enters into force following registration of ratification.
Proposed implementing provisions for incorporation into the Labour Law amendment
The following provisions form an implementation core ready for incorporation into the proposed first amendment to Labour Law No. (37) of 2015 under parliamentary consideration. They will be renumbered and distributed among the Law's parts during final drafting, preserving their substantive content without creating a parallel statute. The public sector is addressed through the public-service legislative alignment process described below.
Article (1) — Scope of implementation concerning violence and harassment
For the provisions on violence and harassment, the world of work includes workers and persons working regardless of contractual status, trainees, apprentices, jobseekers, job applicants, volunteers, persons whose employment has ended, and employers and their representatives. It covers the public and private sectors and the formal and informal economies within each law's legislative remit.
The provisions apply to conduct occurring at, connected with or arising from work, including travel, trips, training, events, digital work communications, employer-provided accommodation and ordinary commuting where a direct connection to work exists.
Article (2) — Definition of violence and harassment
Violence and harassment in the world of work means a range of unacceptable behaviours, practices or threats, whether a single occurrence or repeated, capable of causing, intended to cause or likely to result in physical, psychological, sexual or economic harm. This includes gender-based violence and harassment and sexual harassment.
This definition does not preclude application of a more serious legal characterization or broader protection under the Penal Code or legislation on trafficking, domestic violence or other laws.
Article (3) — General prohibition and non-retaliation
An employer, official, worker or third party undertaking work-related activity is prohibited from committing or inciting violence or harassment, or retaliating against a person for a complaint, testimony, participation in an investigation or refusal of prohibited conduct.
Any disciplinary measure, dismissal, punitive transfer, wage reduction, threat or adverse measure established to be retaliation for exercising a right to protection or complaint shall be void.
Article (4) — Enterprise prevention policy
The employer shall, according to enterprise size and the nature of risks, adopt a written and publicized policy to prevent violence and harassment, consulting workers' representatives where present. It shall include conduct rules, confidential complaint channels, reasonable investigation timeframes, non-retaliation safeguards, temporary protective measures and referral procedures to competent bodies.
Article (5) — Risk assessment and occupational safety
Violence, harassment and related psychosocial risks shall be included in occupational safety and health risk assessments, with particular attention to occupations or work arrangements involving heightened risks from lone or night work, direct contact with the public, residence at the workplace or dependence on a recruitment intermediary.
Article (6) — Right to withdraw from serious danger
A worker may withdraw from a work situation they reasonably believe presents an imminent and serious danger to life, health or safety due to violence or harassment, provided they immediately notify the employer or competent authority where possible. They may not be penalized merely for exercising this right in good faith.
Article (7) — Complaint channels and confidentiality
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs shall establish in-person, digital and telephone channels for complaints concerning violence, harassment and domestic work violations, making complaints accessible to migrant workers in a language they understand as far as possible.
The identities of complainants and witnesses and medical and personal information shall be kept confidential to the extent consistent with defence rights and investigative and judicial requirements.
Article (8) — Inspection and investigation
Labour inspection bodies shall have the powers necessary to verify enterprises' compliance with preventive duties, request records and policies, conduct interviews and issue corrective orders under the law.
Where the workplace is a private residence, its inviolability shall be respected. Entry for inspection shall require the occupant's consent or a judicial warrant, or an urgent situation in which the law permits entry to protect a person from serious danger, using the means least intrusive to privacy.
Article (9) — Remedies and compensation
An affected person may seek cessation of the conduct, removal of its consequences, restoration of employment status where possible, and compensation for proven material and non-material harm, in addition to rights arising from any separate criminal characterization.
Retaliation claims and dismissals linked to complaints shall be heard urgently by the Labour Court. Labour proceedings do not affect the criminal courts' jurisdiction where an offence exists.
Article (10) — Training and awareness
Enterprises designated by implementing instructions shall train managers, supervisors and workers in prevention and response. Competent public bodies shall include the principles of a world of work free of violence and harassment in labour inspection, occupational safety and health, and vocational training programmes.
Article (11) — Definition of domestic work
Domestic work is work performed in or for a home or household on an occupational or regular basis for remuneration, including care, cleaning, cooking, household service and other tasks specified by instructions. A person performing these tasks occasionally or sporadically without making them their occupation is not a domestic worker.
Article (12) — Domestic workers' inclusion in labour protection
Domestic workers shall enjoy the fundamental rights and principles established in the Labour Law unless a specific provision provides better protection or requires proportionate adaptation to the particular characteristics of the home.
Agreements waiving domestic workers' minimum established rights are prohibited, and any condition contrary to mandatory labour public policy is void.
Article (13) — Age and protection from harmful work
No person below the general minimum working age may be employed in domestic work. Persons under eighteen may not be assigned hazardous, night-time or live-in domestic work, work obstructing compulsory education, or work exposing them to violence or exploitation, according to a list issued by the competent authority.
Article (14) — Written domestic work contract
A written domestic work contract shall be concluded before work begins, with one copy for the worker and another for the employer. It shall specify at least the parties' identities, workplace and type of work, starting date, duration if fixed-term, wage and payment method, working hours, rest, leave, accommodation and food where provided, probation, termination conditions and return to the country of origin where applicable.
The contract shall be in a language the worker understands or accompanied by a reliable translation when needed. It may not contain a general waiver of rights or a condition preventing access to courts or competent bodies.
Article (15) — Migrant domestic workers before travel
A domestic worker recruited from outside Iraq must receive before travel a written job offer or contract enforceable in Iraq and consistent with the contract registered with the competent authority. Its terms may not be replaced after arrival with less favourable terms except with the worker's consent and without breaching the law.
Article (16) — Wages and payment methods
A domestic worker's wage shall not fall below the minimum wage applicable under Iraqi legislation. It shall be paid directly and regularly at least once a month, with payment documented by a verifiable means.
Accommodation or food may not constitute the entire wage. Deductions are permitted only in legally authorized cases and within legal limits, with consent or a clear legal basis.
Article (17) — Working and standby hours
Domestic workers shall receive treatment equal to workers generally in basic limits on working time, overtime, rest and leave, taking account of the practical characteristics of domestic work.
Standby periods during which a worker is not free to use their time and must remain at the household's disposal shall count as working time to the extent specified by instructions, collective agreement or judicial decision according to the circumstances.
Article (18) — Weekly rest and leave
Domestic workers are entitled to at least twenty-four consecutive hours of weekly rest, in addition to daily rest, annual and sick leave, maternity leave and other statutory rights.
A live-in worker may not be required to remain in the home during rest or leave.
Article (19) — Freedom of residence and privacy
The parties shall expressly agree whether the worker will reside in the employer's home. Residence may not be used to restrict freedom of movement outside working hours.
Employer-provided accommodation must be decent, safe and respectful of privacy and dignity. Surveillance devices may not be installed in bedrooms, sanitary facilities or changing areas.
Article (20) — Personal documents and freedom of movement
Passports, identity cards, residence documents and other originals remain in the worker's possession. Neither the employer nor recruitment agency may withhold, conceal or destroy them. A copy may be retained for legitimate legal purposes.
A worker may not be locked inside the home or prevented from communicating or leaving the workplace beyond lawful contractual obligations.
Article (21) — Safety and health in domestic work
Domestic workers have the right to a safe and healthy work environment. Employers shall provide information and protective measures appropriate to domestic, chemical, heat and electrical risks and to lifting and care tasks, proportionate to the nature of the work.
Article (22) — Social security
The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and the Workers' Pension and Social Security Department shall work to include domestic workers in insurance protection under Workers' Pension and Social Security Law No. (18) of 2023 and regulations issued under it. Instructions shall define registration and contribution procedures suited to household employers.
Implementation shall take account of maternity, employment injury, disability, old age and other branches applicable under the law.
Article (23) — Recruitment and employment agencies
A private recruitment or employment agency may recruit or employ a domestic worker only with a valid licence. It must provide transparency in contracts, wages and fees, verify the employer's lawful status, provide a grievance channel, and refrain from directly or indirectly charging the worker recruitment or employment fees except specific personal costs expressly permitted by law that do not constitute intermediary charges.
Article (24) — Recruitment agency responsibility
A recruitment agency is responsible for its own violations, misleading information, unlawful charges and contract substitution. Its intermediation does not relieve the employer of direct obligations to the worker.
The agency's licence may be suspended or revoked for serious or repeated violations, with a right of appeal under the law.
Article (25) — Changing employer and ending the relationship
A domestic worker may terminate the contract under the law. A migrant worker may request transfer of employment or regularization of status where violence, harassment, non-payment, withholding of documents, forced labour or serious contractual breach is established. Merely filing a complaint shall not lead to loss of protection or detention because of a status arising from exploitation.
The Ministry of Labour shall coordinate with the Ministry of Interior to issue procedures ensuring a reasonable period for regularizing status or departing safely, without encouraging irregular residence or penalizing a victim for a violation directly caused by exploitation.
Article (26) — Assistance and protection
Where indicators of trafficking or forced labour exist, a domestic or other worker shall be referred to the competent national anti-trafficking referral mechanism and given access to protection, shelter and legal and medical assistance under applicable legislation.
Article (27) — Equality and non-discrimination
Discrimination in pay, working conditions or protection on grounds of sex, origin, nationality, colour, language, social status or any legally prohibited ground is forbidden. Temporary affirmative measures and special protection for groups at greater risk are permitted where lawful and proportionate.
Article (28) — Inspection of domestic work
The Ministry of Labour shall establish a special domestic work inspection protocol balancing workers' rights with the inviolability of the home. It shall use interviews outside the home, digital records, complaints and risk indicators; forced entry requires a legal basis and a judicial warrant where necessary.
Article (29) — Data and registry
The Ministry of Labour shall establish a secure statistical register of domestic work, recruitment agencies, complaints and outcomes. Data shall be used for policy and oversight without publishing personal information identifying workers or households.
Article (30) — Administrative labour penalties
Without prejudice to a more severe penalty under another law, an employer or recruitment agency that withholds a worker's documents, imposes prohibited recruitment fees, denies rest or breaches corrective orders shall face a proportionate labour fine prescribed in the Labour Law's penalties chapter using multiples of the minimum wage, doubled for recurrence or multiple affected workers.
Where conduct involves forced labour, trafficking, unlawful detention, assault or harassment constituting an offence, the case papers shall be referred to the competent investigative authority.
Article (31) — Preservation of judicial jurisdiction
Complaint, inspection or administrative settlement procedures do not bar recourse to the Labour Court or competent civil and criminal courts. Continued employment may not be conditional on a confidential settlement or withdrawal of a criminal complaint.
Article (32) — Inter-agency coordination
A Council of Ministers decision shall establish an executive coordination mechanism comprising the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, Federal Public Service Council, and relevant judicial and oversight bodies for institutional coordination. The most representative workers' and employers' organizations shall participate in matters falling within social dialogue.
Article (33) — Public sector
Pending completion of civil service and disciplinary legislative updates, public bodies shall adopt binding rules prohibiting violence and harassment in the world of work and independent, safe channels for complaints, investigation and protection against retaliation, while guaranteeing employees' right to appeal to competent bodies.
Public service legislation shall align its rules with Convention No. 190 so substantive protection in the public sector is no less favourable than in the private sector.
Article (34) — Informal economy
Public authorities shall establish preventive programmes and access to complaint and protection mechanisms for informal-economy workers without a conventional employer or fixed enterprise, including awareness, inspection, local authorities and occupational organizations, without turning protection into a means of penalizing workers because their activity is informal.
Article (35) — Domestic violence and its effect on work
Where domestic violence has a demonstrable effect on a worker's safety or regular attendance, enterprise policies shall encourage reasonable measures such as short leave, flexibility, changed arrangements or referral to protection services, as prescribed by legislation and instructions, without requiring disclosure of details unnecessary for protection.
Article (36) — Phased entry into effect
Regulations and instructions necessary to implement domestic work and violence-and-harassment provisions shall be issued within six months of publication of the amending law. Phased mandatory registration of domestic work contracts and social security shall begin under a timetable not exceeding twelve months, prioritizing migrant workers and licensed recruitment agencies.
Article (37) — Post-implementation review
Eighteen months after implementation begins, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs shall submit a public report to the Council of Ministers and Council of Representatives covering registration levels, complaints, inspection outcomes, insurance coverage and practical gaps, with specific legislative recommendations and no personal data disclosed.
Implementation in the public sector
Convention No. 190 does not permit protection to be confined to the private sector; it covers both public and private sectors. A parallel public-service legislative process is therefore required, ensuring at least definition and prohibition of violence and harassment, a policy for each public body, a complaint channel not exclusively controlled by the hierarchy of the person complained against, protection for complainants and witnesses, impartial investigation, temporary measures, judicial or administrative appeal, and inclusion of psychosocial risks in occupational safety.
When a modern federal civil service law is enacted, these rules should be permanently incorporated. Until then, alignment should proceed through amendments to applicable service and disciplinary legislation and unified binding instructions for all public bodies within legal limits. Instructions must not become a permanent substitute for safeguards requiring a legislative basis.
Alignment with existing legislation
| Legislation / process | Type of alignment | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Labour Law No. (37) of 2015 and its proposed first amendment of 2026 | Direct amendment | Violence and harassment, domestic work, recruitment, inspection and remedies |
| Workers' Pension and Social Security Law No. (18) of 2023 | Implementation coordination or amendment where needed | Domestic worker coverage suited to household employers |
| Instructions No. (1) of 2026 on Recruitment, Employment and Licensing of Foreign Workers | Amend the instructions after ratification | Pre-travel contracts, fees, possession of documents, change of employer and grievances |
| Public service and disciplinary legislation | Legislative amendment | Coverage of public-sector employees and public bodies under C190 |
| Combating Human Trafficking Law | Referral and coordination | Forced labour, exploitation, withholding of documents and trafficking indicators |
| Occupational safety and health and inspection rules | Update regulations and instructions | Include psychosocial risks and inspection mechanisms proportionate to private homes |
The package does not redefine sexual offences, assault, detention or trafficking where other laws already criminalize them; it links the labour process to those laws. The prohibition on duplicate punishment for the same act and fair-trial safeguards remain subject to general rules.
Transitional provisions and implementation requirements
- Complete both ratification laws and deposit both instruments with the International Labour Organization.
- Approve the implementing provisions within the Labour Law amendment before international entry into force, or as soon as possible thereafter.
- Issue instructions on domestic work, recruitment, inspection and complaint channels within six months.
- Create a standard domestic work contract capable of electronic registration and available in Arabic and the languages most commonly used by migrant workers.
- Launch phased registration of domestic workers in social security within twelve months, simplifying household obligations rather than making registration so complex that it drives activity outside the system.
- Train labour inspectors, judges, law-enforcement bodies and competent officials to distinguish labour disputes, violence and harassment, forced labour and trafficking.
- Prepare public service amendments in parallel so C190 does not enter into force with a gap between public and private sectors.
Financial and implementation impact
The package requires no new federal authority. It can primarily be implemented through the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, Labour Inspection Department, Workers' Pension and Social Security Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Interior, public service bodies and judiciary. The main financial impact arises from developing a domestic work contract registration and complaints platform, expanding training, inspection and translation, and preparing social security systems to accept household employers.
This document provides no cost figure implying false precision: estimation depends on actual registered domestic worker numbers, inspector numbers and reusable existing digital infrastructure. The proposed implementation framework requires the Ministry of Labour to prepare a detailed cost estimate while drafting instructions, separating technical development, training and annual operations and identifying existing resources that can be reused.
Regulation can, in turn, produce measurable benefits: more registered employment relationships, higher social security enrolment, fewer disputes arising from unclear contracts, stronger state oversight of recruitment agencies, and an early intervention route before some violations develop into trafficking, forced labour or more costly criminal disputes.
Explanatory memorandum
1. Why ratify now?
The Labour Law amendment process is already open in the Council of Representatives, and its announced content directly overlaps with both conventions. Ratification now gives the amendment a clear international standard and avoids the need for another legislative round shortly afterwards. Iraq has also accumulated experience in recent years ratifying other international labour conventions, and can use existing institutions to manage reporting and implementation.
2. Why two ratification laws rather than one?
Each convention has a distinct subject, scope and international obligation, and deposit and registration with the International Labour Organization occur convention by convention. Separate ratification laws improve legislative clarity and make each instrument's registration and entry-into-force dates traceable. This document groups them together because their domestic implementation is interconnected.
3. Why is the Labour Law alone insufficient to implement C190?
The Convention covers the public sector, informal-economy workers, trainees, jobseekers and others outside a conventional private employment relationship. Iraq therefore needs a strong private-sector labour rule and parallel public-service rules, alongside roles for public authorities in the informal economy.
4. Why does domestic work need specific regulation?
The workplace is a private home, the employer is usually a household rather than a business, and the worker may live in the home or be a migrant dependent on a recruitment intermediary. These features create different risks: unclear standby time, difficult inspection, isolation, withholding of documents, weak wage records, and dependence on accommodation and residence status. At the same time, the home and privacy must be respected, so the package uses graduated inspection rather than unrestricted entry into homes.
5. Relationship to combating human trafficking
Not every breach of a domestic worker's contract constitutes trafficking. Certain indicators, however—deceptive recruitment, withholding documents, restricting movement, non-payment accompanied by threats, and forced labour—may indicate trafficking or criminal exploitation. The package creates an institutional bridge between labour inspectors and the national anti-trafficking referral mechanism without treating every labour dispute as a criminal case.
6. Protecting privacy and defence rights
Effective implementation of C190 requires safe, confidential channels, but confidentiality does not mean opaque procedures or condemnation without a defence. The package protects complainants' and witnesses' data as far as possible while ensuring that the person complained against can know the substantive allegations and answer them before an impartial body. It also distinguishes temporary preventive measures from final penalties.
7. Ensuring implementability
The package creates no new institutions merely to match international form. Implementation rests on existing institutions with specified additional duties. Fines are linked to multiples of the minimum wage rather than fixed amounts that lose value over time, while serious criminal conduct is referred under the relevant criminal laws.
Sources and references
- Iraqi Council of Representatives — Constitution of the Republic of IraqConstitutional reference for Article 61/Fourth, Article 73 and Article 110.
- Ministry of Justice — Iraqi Gazette, issue 4383: Treaty Conclusion Law No. (35) of 2015Domestic legal framework for treaty conclusion.
- ILO NORMLEX — Up-to-date Conventions not ratified by IraqShows C189 and C190 continuing to be listed as unratified as of the document date.
- ILO NORMLEX — Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190)Official Convention text, including scope, prevention, enforcement, registration and entry into force.
- ILO NORMLEX — Domestic Workers Convention, 2011 (No. 189)Official Convention text, including contracts, rest, documents, recruitment, social security and inspection.
- ILO NATLEX — Iraqi Labour Law No. (37) of 2015Reference for the structure of the Labour Law in force.
- Iraqi Council of Representatives — Decisions and Recommendations of the Sitting of 25 July 2026Evidence of completion of the first reading of the proposed first Labour Law amendment.
- Iraqi Council of Representatives — Labour Committee Discusses Labour Law Amendment with the International Labour Organization, 3 September 2026Documents discussion of violence, harassment, recruitment and recent labour amendments.
- Ministry of Justice — Iraqi Gazette, issue 4863 of 2026Includes Instructions No. (1) of 2026 on Recruitment, Employment and Licensing of Foreign Workers in Iraq.
- International Labour Organization — Recommendation No. 206 supplementing Convention No. 190Interpretive reference for prevention policies, remedies and training.
- International Labour Organization — Domestic Workers Recommendation No. 201Supplementary reference for implementing decent work provisions for domestic workers.