Forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking
Facts and figures
- 49.6 million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, of which 27.6 million were in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriage.
- Of the 27.6 million people in forced labour, 17.3 million are exploited in the private sector; 6.3 million in forced commercial sexual exploitation, and 3.9 million in forced labour imposed by state.
- Women and girls account for 4.9 million of those in forced commercial sexual exploitation, and for 6 million of those in forced labour in other economic sectors.
- 12% of all those in forced labour are children. More than half of these children are in commercial sexual exploitation.
- The Asia and the Pacific region has the highest number of people in forced labour (15.1 million) and the Arab States the highest prevalence (5.3 per thousand people).
- Addressing decent work deficits in the informal economy, as part of broader efforts towards economic formalization, is a priority for progress against forced labour.
News
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Making innovation work for decent work
The ILO 8.7 Accelerator Lab launches vision for innovation, knowledge sharing and scaling up
28 March 2024
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News
Indonesia establishes the first MRC for migrant fishing vessel crews in Pemalang Regency
25 March 2024
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Forced labour
Annual profits from forced labour amount to US$ 236 billion, ILO report finds
19 March 2024
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Media Advisory
ILO to release new report on the economics of forced labour and illegal profits
14 March 2024
Focus on
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The Fair Recruitment Initiative
The ILO has launched a global “Fair Recruitment Initiative” to: (i) help prevent human trafficking; (ii) protect the rights of workers, including migrant workers, from abusive and fraudulent practices during the recruitment and placement process; and (iii) reduce the cost of labour migration and enhance development gains.
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2030 Agenda for sustainable development
ILO contributions to achieve SDG Targent 8.7
Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and end child labour in all its forms.
It's time to ratify the ILO's Forced Labour Protocol
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The new legally-binding ILO Protocol on Forced Labour aims to strengthen global efforts towards combating forced labour, trafficking and slavery-like practices. Governments now have the opportunity to ratify the Protocol and integrate new measures at the national and regional levels to combat this crime.
Publications
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Publication
8.7 Accelerator Lab: Theory of change for the mining sector
28 March 2024
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Publication
8.7 Accelerator Lab: Theory of change for the agriculture sector
28 March 2024
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Publication
8.7 Accelerator Lab: Theory of change for the fishing sector
28 March 2024