Launch of the ILO Survey Guidelines to Measure Forced Labour of Adults and Children

The lack of national data on forced labour and trafficking of children and adults hampers implementation of targeted and effective responses.

Given the importance of statistical survey data for policy making and global analysis, the ILO embarked on implementing a series of surveys at the national level to test methodologies and to measure forced labour of children and adults. With USDOL and DFID support, ten pilot surveys have already been implemented and the results have been documented in methodological guidelines. By using these guidelines, governments can now obtain reliable data on the extent of forced labour and trafficking affecting their population, profiles of victims and risk factors.

The tools developed by the ILO will allow governments, National Statistics Offices, academic institutions and other research centres to:

design statistical surveys to measure forced labour and trafficking in their country;

inform the development of national indicators of forced labour and trafficking;

customize a methodology in view of a specific context, including the scope of the survey, the geographical coverage, the sampling of the population and the timing of data collection.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) invites you to the launch on 15 December 2011 in Washington, D.C., at the Liaison Capitol Hill, from 2 to 5 pm.

Please join the ILO in this meeting in order to:

Share these innovative methodologies and key survey results at an expert roundtable

Exchange comments with expert participants

Discuss implications for future research and action against forced labour of children and adults

Participants will include representatives from International organizations, US Government agencies, NGOs as well as academic experts.