In February, the Vienna Forum Against Human Trafficking generated new momentum for a global alliance aimed at abolishing forced labour in the next decade, with strong support from employer and labour representatives. Organized by the “UN.GIFT” coalition of six intergovernmental agencies, the Forum showed universal agreement on the need to harness international outrage against trafficking and forced labour into an international alliance proposed by the ILO. According to the ILO, at least 2.4 million women, children and men are trafficked into severe forms of labour and sexual exploitation in destination countries, in mainstream industries as well as the informal economy, generating an estimated US$32 billion in annual profits. At the Forum, the ILO organized well-attended sessions on supply chain management, the demand for forced labour and sexual exploitation, and the roles of employers’ organizations, businesses and trade unions in combating trafficking, where participants discussed measures to prevent human trafficking.
For more information, please contact the ILO’s Special Action Programme against Forced Labour, e-mail: forcedlabour@ilo.org