ILO - European Parliament
Forced labour remains main challenge of 21st century, says ILO at European Parliament hearing
Jean-Marie Kagabo of the ILO Special Action Program to Combat Forced Labour spoke at a European Parliament Hearing on Contemporary Forms of Slavery in the Sahel Region.
14 October 2013
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He emphasized that forced labour remains one of the main worldwide challenges of the 21st century and underlined the importance of the ILO Forced Labour Convention (No. 29), one of the eight fundamental ILO conventions.
The hearing was opened by Ms Barbara Lochbihler, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Chair of the Subcommittee. In his intervention, Jean-Marie Kagabo stressed that forced labour is not only a violation of a fundamental human right, but that it is also one of the root causes of poverty and that it affects economic development.
Kagabo focused on the ILO’s fight against forced labour and modern slavery in the African Sahel region. A series of ILO technical missions have been sent to Mauretania in order to help the government and social partners to promote and implement Convention No.29, and the ILO is currently developing technical cooperation projects on forced labour in Mauretania. Next to that, Jean-Marie Kagabo also specified that an ILO project on combating forced labour and slavery, funded by Sweden, has been implemented in Niger. He concluded his intervention by inviting members of the European Parliament to participate in the ILO worldwide “End Slavery Now!” campaign.
The hearing was opened by Ms Barbara Lochbihler, Member of the European Parliament (MEP) and Chair of the Subcommittee. In his intervention, Jean-Marie Kagabo stressed that forced labour is not only a violation of a fundamental human right, but that it is also one of the root causes of poverty and that it affects economic development.
Kagabo focused on the ILO’s fight against forced labour and modern slavery in the African Sahel region. A series of ILO technical missions have been sent to Mauretania in order to help the government and social partners to promote and implement Convention No.29, and the ILO is currently developing technical cooperation projects on forced labour in Mauretania. Next to that, Jean-Marie Kagabo also specified that an ILO project on combating forced labour and slavery, funded by Sweden, has been implemented in Niger. He concluded his intervention by inviting members of the European Parliament to participate in the ILO worldwide “End Slavery Now!” campaign.