The United Nations (UN’s) International Day for the Abolition of Slavery was annually observed across the globe on 2nd December to about eradicating modern slavery, such as human trafficking, sexual exploitation, severe child labour, forced marriages, and the recruitment of children for armed conflicts.
- On December 2, the UN General Assembly will mark the 75th anniversary of the Convention for the Suppression of Traffic in Persons and observe the International Day of Abolition of Slavery 2024.
Background:
i.The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery commemorates the adoption of the UN’s Convention for the Suppression of Human Trafficking and Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution A/RES/317 (IV), passed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 2nd December 1949.
ii.The Convention came into effect on 25th July 1951.
Modern Slavery:
i.Modern slavery is a broad term encompassing practices like forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. It refers to situations where individuals are exploited and unable to escape due to threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power.
ii.Over 52% of forced labour cases and 25% of forced marriages are reported in upper-middle-income or high-income nations.
iii.Global Slavery Index 2023-
According to The Global Slavery Index 2023,An estimated 50 million people were living in modern slavery on any given day in 2021, an increase of 10 million people since 2016.
- These Global Estimates of Modern Slavery produced by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Walk Free,and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
ILO Report 2021:
i.The International Labour Organisation (ILO) reported, 27.6 million people globally were subjected to forced labor, an increase of 2.7 million since 2016, primarily driven by forced labor imposed by private entities.
Child Labour:
i.Globally, one in ten children is involved in labour, the majority of which is driven by economic exploitation.
ii.Almost half of the 79 million children involved in child labour are engaged in hazardous work that poses a direct threat to their health and safety
iii.The number of children aged 5 to 11 in child labour has increased, and the number of children aged 5 to 17 engaged in hazardous work, which poses a risk to their health, safety, or morals, has risen by 6.5 million to reach 79 million since 2016.
iv.As a result of the pandemic, an additional 9 million children were at risk of being pushed into child labour by the end of 2022.
Human Trafficking:
i.The Protocol defines human trafficking as the act of recruiting, moving, or holding people using threats, force, or trickery, with the aim of exploiting them.
ii.The Ministry of External Affairs (MoEA) raises awareness about the dangers of fake job rackets and prevention methods through advisories on the eMigrate portal, social media, and other channels, notifying 3,094 illegal agents, including those in Punjab, by October 2024.
About the International Labour Organisation (ILO):
Director General – Gilbert F. Houngbo
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
Established – 1919
