Portuguese Colonialism and the Expansion of the Internationalization of the “Native Labour” Question

Abstract

This chapter explores the Portuguese government’s gradual reframing of arguments of imperial sovereignty to cope with the increasingly difficult global circumstances of the late 1950s. Efforts to deal with the visible racial discrimination elements that permeated colonial realities were undertaken in permanent articulation with international institutions, their languages, and programmes. The ILO, seen as a viable diplomatic alternative to the United Nations, was a particularly important agent in this process. Portuguese rulers and diplomats believed they could argue for retaining the empire based on socio-economic achievements while avoiding any discussion about the political status of the colonies and their populations. However, these diplomatic and political options came with costs. Within a few years, the Portuguese government was adhering to an unprecedented number of international conventions that had direct implications for colonial labour practices and policies.