United Nations (UN)’s International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is annually observed across the globe on December 2 to raise public awareness of the need to combat modern forms of slavery such as child labour, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
- The day aims to abolish modern-day forms of slavery.
Background:
i.International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is observed on 2nd December to mark the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)’s adoption of the UN Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others(A/RES/317(IV)) on 2nd December 1949.
ii.The Convention entered into force on 25th July 1951.
Modern Slavery:
i. The continuation of old forms of slavery that are rooted in conventional ideas and rituals has been confirmed by UN human rights agencies.
- According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), more than 50 million people globally are victims of modern slavery.
ii. These types of slavery result from long-standing discrimination towards the most disadvantaged individuals and groups in society, including those who belong to a low caste, a tribal minority, and indigenous peoples.
iii. Throughout history, slavery has changed and taken on various forms.
Forced labour:
- 50 million people are reportedly trapped in modern slavery, including 28 million who are subject to forced labour and 22 million who are forced into marriage.
- Most cases of forced labour (86 per cent) are found in the private sector.
- In India, bonded labour is illegal under the Constitution’s Articles 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty) and 23 (Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour).
Child labour
- According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), around 1 in 10 children are involved in child labour globally, with some being trafficked into dangerous jobs.
- The number of children in child labour has increased to 160 million
In India, the Child Labor (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Act 2016 was enacted delicately in 2016, prohibiting the employment of children under the age of 14 in all employment and adding provisions for the prohibition of the employment of teenagers (14–18 Years) in the scheduled hazardous occupations and processes.
Trafficking
According to the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons Especially Women and Children, trafficking in persons is defined as the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, or receipt of persons for exploitation through the threat.
- According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report, the most common form of human trafficking (79%) is sexual exploitation.
- The second most common form of human trafficking is forced labour (18%).
- Children make up roughly 20% of all trafficking victims globally.
Nearly 99% of trafficking victims identified were Indian; approximately 53% were adults, and 47% were children. 59% were female and 41% were male
About the International Labour Organization (ILO):
Director-General- Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo
Headquarters- Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment- 1919
