Alliance 8.7

Advancing Alliance 8.7 in Europe and Central Asia

ILO and OSCE host Europe and Central Asia regional meeting on achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 of eradicating child labour by 2025 and forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking by 2030.

Press release | Budapest, Hungary | 29 June 2017
BUDAPEST (ILO News) - The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held a two-day high-level Europe and Central Asia regional consultation to identify common challenges and priorities in eliminating forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and child labour.

The consultations (29-30 June) in Budapest brought together high level representatives from governments, and workers’ and employers’ organisations from Europe and Central Asia, as well as representatives from diplomatic missions, civil society and the private sector.

Mr. Heinz Koller addressing participants at the conference
The meeting was opened by István Íjgyártó, Hungarian State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Heinz Koller, Assistant Director General of the ILO and Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia.

“We have to unite our efforts and implement a range of instruments and policies in partnership to promote a better world based on solidarity by providing essential global public goods, protecting democracy and human rights, fostering peace and stronger global governance,” Íjgyártó said.

We have to unite our efforts and implement a range of instruments and policies in partnership to promote a better world based on solidarity by providing essential global public goods, protecting democracy and human rights, fostering peace and stronger global governance."

István Íjgyártó, Hungarian State Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
“Equal attention should be given to forced labour and human trafficking, especially at a time when Europe is facing new challenges in relation to refugees and migration flows and the need to integrate migrants into the labour market,” Koller explained in his address.

The ILO estimates that globally there are 21 million men, women and children suffering as victims of forced labour and human trafficking for labour exploitation. The total illicit profits generated by the use of forced labour worldwide amounts to $150 billion per year. Updated global estimates are planned to be released by Alliance 8.7 in September 2017 and will be used as benchmarks to measure progress towards achieving SDG Target 8.7.

There are 168 million children – over 10 per cent of the global child population – in child labour. The number has fallen since 2000 but remains at unacceptable levels. Europe and Central Asia are characterized by relatively high levels of economic development and social security, but the levels vary widely among different countries. Some population groups are extremely vulnerable to labour exploitation. Eastern and Southern Europe and the CIS have the highest incidence of forced labour per inhabitant. Vulnerable groups include young people from underserviced rural areas, migrants and refugees, and ethnic minorities living a marginalized existence economically and socially.

The outcome of the consultations is expected to feed into the IV Global Conference on Child Labour on the Sustained Eradication of Child labour (including forced labour and quality youth employment) in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November 2017 which will support the implementation of Target 8.7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.


For more detailed information, please contact ILO DWT/CO-Europe, Veronika Tomka at tomka@ilo.org | (+361) 4732656.