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<DIV><BR><SPAN class=titlepress>ILO releases major new study on forced
labour <BR><BR>Says more than 12 million are trapped in forced labour
worldwide</SPAN> <BR><BR></DIV>
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<DIV><BR><STRONG>Wednesday 11 May 2005 (ILO/05/22)</STRONG> <SPAN
class=txt><BR><BR>GENEVA (ILO News) - At least 12.3 million people are
trapped in forced labour around the world, the International Labour Office
(ILO) said in a new study released today. ILO Director-General Juan
Somavia called forced labour "a social evil which has no place in the
modern world". <BR><BR>The new report, entitled "<A class=underarial
href="http://www.ilo.org/dyn/declaris/DECLARATIONWEB.INDEXPAGE">A global
alliance against forced labour</A>" (<A
href="http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2005/22.htm#1">Note
1</A>), says that nearly 10 million people are exploited through forced
labour in the private economy, rather than imposed directly by states. Of
these, the study estimates a minimum of 2.4 million to be victims of human
trafficking. <BR><BR>The report also provides the first global estimate of
the profits generated by the exploitation of trafficked women, children
and men - US$ 32 billion each year, or an average of US$ 13,000 from every
single trafficked forced labourer. <BR><BR>"Forced labour represents the
underside of globalization and denies people their basic rights and
dignity", Mr. Somavia said. "To achieve a fair globalization and decent
work for all, it is imperative to eradicate forced labour." <BR><BR>The
report is the most comprehensive analysis ever undertaken by an
intergovernmental organization of the facts and underlying causes of
contemporary forced labour. It was prepared under the Follow Up to the <A
class=underarial
href="http://www.ilo.org/dyn/declaris/DECLARATIONWEB.INDEXPAGE">Declaration
on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work</A> adopted by the ILO in
1998 and will be discussed at the Organization's annual <A
class=underarial
href="http://www.ilo.org/public/english/standards/relm/ilc/index.htm">International
Labour Conference</A> in June. <BR><BR>The new study confirms that forced
labour is a major global problem which is present in all regions and in
all types of economy. Of the overall total, some 9.5 million forced
labourers are in Asia, which is the region with the highest number; 1.3
million in Latin America and the Caribbean; 660,000 in sub-Saharan Africa;
260,000 in the Middle East and North Africa; 360,000 in industrialized
countries; and 210,000 in transition countries. <BR><BR>Forced economic
exploitation in such sectors as agriculture, construction, brick-making
and informal sweatshop manufacturing is more or less evenly divided
between the sexes. However, forced commercial sexual exploitation entraps
almost entirely women and girls. In addition, children aged less than 18
years bear a heavy burden, comprising 40 to 50 per cent of all forced
labour victims. <BR><BR>Approximately one-fifth of all forced labourers
globally are trafficked but the proportion varies widely from region to
region, the report says. In Asia, Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa,
the proportion of trafficked persons is less than 20 per cent of all
forced labour, while in industrialized and transition countries and in the
Middle East and North Africa, trafficking accounts for more than 75 per
cent of the total. <BR><BR>Most forced labour today is still exacted in
developing countries where older forms of forced labour are sometimes
transmuting into newer ones, notably in a range of informal sector
activities, the report says. Debt bondage frequently affects minorities -
including indigenous peoples - that have long experienced discrimination
on the labour market, and locks them in a vicious cycle of poverty from
which they find it ever more difficult to escape. Many victims are working
in remote geographical areas, where labour inspection presents a
particular challenge. <BR><BR>The report sheds new light on the emerging
forms of forced labour affecting migrant workers, in particular irregular
migrants in rich and poor destination countries alike. It also examines
the labour market conditions under which forced labour is most likely to
occur, such as where there are inadequate controls over recruitment
agencies and subcontracting systems, or weak labour inspection.
<BR><BR>The appearance of new forms of coercion in today's globalized
economy also raises some difficult policy questions. The report examines
the strong pressures to deregulate labour markets as part of the overall
drive to reduce labour costs and thereby increase competitiveness.
<BR><BR>"Forced labour is the very antithesis of decent work, the goal of
the ILO", says Mr. Somavia. "There is critical need for devising effective
strategies against forced labour today. This requires a blend of law
enforcement and ways of tackling the structural roots of forced labour,
whether outmoded agrarian systems or poorly functioning labour markets".
<BR><BR>The report makes the case that forced labour can be abolished, but
only if governments and national institutions pursue active polices,
vigorous enforcement and show strong commitment to eradicating such
treatment of human beings. It also presents the positive experience in
selected countries that, with ILO assistance, are now tackling forced
labour by adopting strong legislation and enforcement mechanisms,
implementing policies and programmes to tackle the underlying causes, and
helping victims rebuild their lives. <BR><BR>"Although the numbers are
large, they are not so large as to make abolishing forced labour
impossible", Mr. Somavia says. "Thus, the ILO calls for a global alliance
against forced labour involving governments, employers' and workers'
organizations, development agencies and international financial
institutions concerned with poverty reduction, and civil society including
research and academic institutions. With political will and global
commitment over the next decade, we believe forced labour can be relegated
to history." <BR></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=txt>News releases</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=txt><A
href="http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2005/22.htm">http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/inf/pr/2005/22.htm</A></DIV></SPAN></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><!--StartFragment --><TD
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Fact Sheet</DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.ilo.org/dyn/declaris/DECLARATIONWEB.DOWNLOAD_BLOB?Var_DocumentID=5065">http://www.ilo.org/dyn/declaris/DECLARATIONWEB.DOWNLOAD_BLOB?Var_DocumentID=5065</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Executive Summary</DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.ilo.org/dyn/declaris/DECLARATIONWEB.DOWNLOAD_BLOB?Var_DocumentID=5041">http://www.ilo.org/dyn/declaris/DECLARATIONWEB.DOWNLOAD_BLOB?Var_DocumentID=5041</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Stuart Elliott</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://newappeal.blogspot.com/">http://newappeal.blogspot.com/</A><BR></DIV></TD></BODY></HTML>