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Ladies and Gentlemen,
Thank you for taking the time to come here today.
The report we are presenting to you today is an important one. It sheds
light on a dark and unacceptable practice that has no place in the modern
world.
The ILO’s report “A Global
Alliance
Against Forced Labour” offers the first estimates by an international
organisation of forced labour today, both worldwide and by region. It also
gives figures of the number of victims of trafficking and of the profits
made by those criminals who exploit trafficked workers. In this region,
Asia Pacific, the picture is particularly alarming.
My colleagues will give you a more detailed presentation of the report’s
findings in a minute, but first I would like to give you some background.
This report was compiled as part of the Follow-up procedures to the
ILO’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.
The Declaration was adopted in 1998.
It can be seen as a concrete expression of the universal values
that the ILO was founded to promote.
Under the Declaration all Member States of the ILO are committed to
respect and promote principles and rights in four categories, whether or
not they have ratified the relevant Conventions.
These categories are:
-
The
elimination of forced or compulsory labour
-
Freedom
of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective
bargaining,
-
The
abolition of child labour, and
- The
elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.
The
Declaration makes it clear that these rights are universal, and that they
apply to all peoples in all states - regardless of the level of economic
development.
Under the follow-up procedures for the Declaration the ILO produces an
annual Global Report on one of the four areas. This year it’s Forced
Labour.
These annual reports have a number of purposes. They give a picture of the
current situation. They review the actions taken by governments, workers
and employers in the four years since the previous report. And they try to
chart a way forward.
In the case of forced labour we face a complex challenge. Forced labour is
often an invisible crime, fuelled by long-standing patterns of poverty and
discrimination. Inadequate regulation, globalizing economies and weak
labour inspection can all allow forced labour to spread.
Our message to decision-makers is clear. Abolishing forced labour will be
a challenge but it is possible if we face up to the problem.
We need clear legislation. We need enforcement of that legislation.
And we need a common commitment that forced labour is not acceptable –
for cultural, social, economic, or any other reason.
That’s why this report calls for a Global Alliance against Forced
Labour, bringing together governments, employers, workers, development
agencies, international financial institutions, and civil society groups.
I hope that this report will serve as a call to action. If we are to live
in decent societies and see the benefit of economic growth shared fairly,
then we must recognise that there is no place for forced labour.
Thank
you.
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