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Topic portal

Forced labour, modern slavery and trafficking in persons

ILO Bridge project, Nepal © ILO

Forced labour is a severe violation of human rights affecting 27.6 million of men, women and children in all countries and all economic sectors. It is rooted in poverty, discrimination and lack of social protection, and it disrupts fair competition between businesses. The issue has been at the heart of the ILO mandate to promote Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, leaving no one behind.

Highlights

What is forced labour?
Woman  holding corn stalks

What is forced labour?

Key resources on forced labour
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Key resources on forced labour

Our impact, their voices
Woman wearing a worksite safety helmet

Our impact, their voices

Forced Labour Observatory
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Forced Labour Observatory

Facts and figures

27.6 million

men, women and children are in forced labour

63%

of forced labour happens in the private economy

236 billion US$

generated in illegal profits every year

60

countries ratified the ILO Forced Labour Protocol

International Labour Standards on Forced Labour

The Forced Labour Convention (No. 29), adopted in 1930, contains the definition of forced labour and provides that it should be punished as a crime. This is one of the most ratified ILO standards. 

What can the ILO offer and how?

Credit
ILO
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Video on the ILO approach to tackle Forced Labour
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Video on the ILO approach to tackle Forced Labour

 

Focus on

The Fair Recruitment Initiative
FRI logo no text

The Fair Recruitment Initiative

The ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour
Global Business Network on Forced Labour logo cropped

The ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour

8.7 Accelerator Lab
8.7 Accelerator Lab logo

8.7 Accelerator Lab

News and articles

ILO works with Malaysian trade unions to advance workers’ rights and sustainable labour practices

Worker-driven social responsibility: Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work

ILO works with Malaysian trade unions to advance workers’ rights and sustainable labour practices

Empowering Africa: Championing human rights at work, uniting for change and transforming futures
Participants to the regional academy on fundamental principles and rights at work pose for a group photo, they are around 100 and some of them raise their hand in the photo

Empowering Africa: Championing human rights at work, uniting for change and transforming futures

Publications

Fair Recruitment Initiative: Paving the way for decent work

Celebrating 10 years of progress

Fair Recruitment Initiative: Paving the way for decent work

Recruitment fees and related costs at a glance
Recruitment fees and related costs at a glance

Fair recruitment

Recruitment fees and related costs at a glance

Global study on recruitment fees and related costs: Second edition
Global study

Fair recruitment

Global study on recruitment fees and related costs: Second edition

Projects

ILO/Japan Fund for Building Social Safety Nets in Asia and the Pacific (SSN Fund)

Social safety nets

ILO/Japan Fund for Building Social Safety Nets in Asia and the Pacific (SSN Fund)

CAPSA - Capacity Strengthening of Governments to Address Child Labour and Forced Labour and Violations of Acceptable Conditions of Work in...

Child Labour and Forced Labour

CAPSA - Capacity Strengthening of Governments to Address Child Labour and Forced Labour and Violations of Acceptable Conditions of Work in...

Want to know more about Forced Labour?
You can contact us at forcedlabour@ilo.org
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