International Day for the Abolition of Slavery 2nd December
By Patricia Jjuuko/GICJ
The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, was established by the United Nations Assembly in 1986 to coincide with the anniversary of the adoption by the General Assembly of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution 317 (V) of 2 December 1949). The main focus of this day is to draw awareness and attention to the eradication of contemporary forms of slavery and exploitation in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Although not defined by law, modern slavery is used as an umbrella term to cover practices such as, trafficking of persons, sexual exploitation, child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict. Principally, it refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception and abuse of power. The International Labour Organization (ILO) adopted a legally binding Protocol to strengthen global efforts to eliminate forced labour, which entered into force in November 2016
Statistics on Modern Day Slavery
- An estimated 50 million people are in modern slavery, including 28 million in forced labour and 22 million in forced marriage
- Almost one in eight of all those in forced labour are children. More than half of these children are in commercial sexual exploitation.
- About 86% of forced labour cases are found in the private sector.
- Almost four out of five of those in forced commercial sexual exploitation are women or girls.
Source: International Labour Organization 2022
Forms of Modern Slavery
Human Trafficking
This is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring of people through force, fraud or deception, with the aim of exploiting them for profit. This crime occurs in all regions of the world. Traffickers often use violence or fraudulent employment agencies and fake promises of education and or job opportunities to coerce their victims. Traffickers often prey on individuals who are vulnerable because of poverty, lack of lawful immigration status, safe housing, and limited economic and education opportunities. Victims are found in both legal and illegal labor industries, including farms, factories, restaurants, nail and hair salons, massage parlors, elder care and child care.
INTERPOL's largest-ever operation against human trafficking in 2024 rescued 3,200 potential victims and identified over 17,800 irregular migrants. Victims were often exploited in labor, sexual exploitation, or forced participation in scams. For example, in the Philippines, 250 individuals, primarily Chinese nationals, were coerced into operating large-scale romance scams. Similar schemes involving forced labor and fraud were uncovered in West Africa and Central America. A significant trend in Southeast Asia involves the trafficking of individuals into compounds for forced labor in sophisticated online scams. Victims are lured by false job offers and subjected to physical abuse and threats. In Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar, these scams are protected by private security and sometimes even local armed groups, making law enforcement intervention challenging. Reports estimate that as many as 220,000 individuals from 66 countries have been forced into such scams.
In Central and South America, authorities have uncovered cases of sexual exploitation and forced labor. In early 2024, Argentinian authorities rescued 59 victims, including minors, from forced labor on a farm in the province of Buenos Aires. The operation was part of ongoing efforts to combat human trafficking and exploitative labor in the region. These individuals, many of whom were recruited under false pretenses, were subjected to harsh conditions, working long hours without proper remuneration or safeguards. This rescue underscores the broader issue of forced labor in Argentina, particularly in rural and agricultural sectors, where vulnerable populations, including children and migrants, are often targeted. The Argentinian government has been working to strengthen its anti-trafficking mechanisms and improve protections for workers. In Iraq and Ethiopia, trafficking rings exploited individuals for forced begging and domestic servitude, respectively.
These incidents highlight not only the human toll of trafficking but also the evolving nature of criminal networks, which often intertwine trafficking with other forms of organized crime such as drug smuggling and fraud. Efforts to combat trafficking require international coordination and multifaceted strategies.
Forced Labour
The ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) refers forced labour to “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily.” Migrant workers face a higher risk of forced labour than any other workers. The forced labour prevalence of adult migrant workers is more than three times higher than that of adult non-migrant workers.
This year, the UN Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery, Tomoya Obokata, during his November 2024 visit to Australia, examined risks of slavery-like practices among vulnerable groups such as migrants, Indigenous people, and women. He pointed out the systemic exploitation of temporary migrant workers, highlighting poor working conditions and the urgent need for stronger protections. Mr. Obokata further raised significant concerns about forced labour within UK’s seasonal worker program. He emphasized that insufficient government oversight allowed exploitation, including wage theft, racism, threats of deportation, and denial of basic workplace protections, to persist. This was noted as a breach of international human rights obligations, urging stricter labor inspections and accountability measures
Child Labour and Forced Marriage
There are over 3 million children exploited in forced labour. Children from especially disadvantaged backgrounds are particularly vulnerable to slavery. In addition to the same drivers of slavery such as poverty, social status and discrimination, children lack agency and ability to speak up. Climate change is intensifying the exploitation of children in agriculture, as impoverished families increasingly rely on child labour to cope with reduced incomes and climate-induced disruptions.
Child marriage persists globally, with approximately one in five girls married before turning 18. Although some regions, like South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, have seen reductions in prevalence, crises such as armed conflict, climate change, and the pandemic have reversed progress in many areas. For instance, West and Central Africa continue to exhibit high rates of child marriage due to entrenched poverty and gender inequalities. This issue is particularly urgent in regions like Nepal, where nearly 40% of girls are married as minors
Children in Armed Conflict
Despite 196 countries having ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and 172 having ratified the Optional Protocol on the Involvement of the Children in Armed Conflict (OPAC), children in conflict zones still face the serious threat of recruitment by state and non-state actors. In Yemen, the Houthi militia has reportedly increased child recruitment efforts, particularly since October 2023. Children as young as 13 have been recruited through official institutions like schools, where they are indoctrinated and later sent to military camps. Many families, facing severe poverty, reportedly accept this due to promises of food and financial support. Despite previous agreements with the UN to cease these practices, the recruitment persists, often involving exploitation of humanitarian aid channels.
In Sudan, the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has left unaccompanied and vulnerable children at significant risk of recruitment. Reports indicate that the RSF targets children from impoverished families, often using them in combat roles. The deteriorating humanitarian situation exacerbates their vulnerability, with many children recruited for survival or coerced due to lack of protection mechanisms. Globally, the UN's 2024 report on Children and Armed Conflict noted a significant rise in child recruitment, emphasizing the role of digital spaces and economic hardship in exacerbating the issue. Despite efforts to demobilize child soldiers over the years, the recruitment trend has grown due to the complex and evolving nature of modern conflicts.
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) honors all victims of modern slavery and reaffirms its steadfast commitment to resist and abolish this abhorrent practice in all its forms. Addressing modern slavery requires robust international cooperation and stricter enforcement of human rights laws to effectively combat exploitation and abuse. We urge states to implement inclusive and equitable laws and policies that integrate a gendered lens, offering targeted protections for women and girls subjected to forced marriages, while ensuring non-discriminatory access for migrants and other vulnerable groups.
To eradicate slavery entirely, we must confront its root causes—poverty, social exclusion, and systemic discrimination—through collective action and sustainable development. On this International Day, let us heed the powerful words of Nelson Mandela: “Slavery is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.” Together, let us work towards a world free from exploitation, grounded in dignity, justice, and equality for all.
References
- https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/10/sudan-un-expert-warns-child-recruitment-armed-forces
- https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/07/examining-2024-annual-trafficking-persons-report-progress-over-politics
#internationaldayfortheabolitionofslavery #modernslavery #abolishslavery #endhumantrafficking #justiceforall #GICJ #Genevainternationalcentreforjustice
