Modern slavery on the rise as crises fuel poverty - U.N. report

Record ID: 1688826

  • Title: Modern slavery on the rise as crises fuel poverty - U.N. report
  • Date: 12th September 2022
  • Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 12, 2022) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO), GUY RYDER, DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO), GUY RYDER, SAYING: “We now have 27.6 million forced labours in the world. That’s an extraordinary figure in this day and age that there are you know, 27.6 million people compelled to work. And the even worse news is this represents an increase over our previous estimates, which were published in 2017, an increase of 2.7 million.” RYDER TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO), GUY RYDER, SAYING: “You know, the temptation is and would be to say, ‘well, this is COVID, isn’t it? You know, COVID's upset everything and now it’s created an increase in forced labour. I think actually that’s too simplistic. I do not deny that COVID has been a contributor, but we see with forced labour, as by the way, we have with child labour, increases which pre-date the advent of the pandemic. So other things are at work and I have to tell you that, I think, by and large, that we simply relaxed our efforts. We've taken our eye off the ball when it comes to forced labour, as we have with child labour.” RYDER DURING INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO), GUY RYDER, SAYING: “We know that we have to protect people against the vulnerabilities which are at the heart of forced labour. We have to improve recruitment practices, so they are fair and they are ethical. We have to reinforce labour inspection and enforcement. All of these things, we know what works, we're just not doing it enough. So, my view is, when you come down to it, discounting COVID and the other ups and downs of the global economy, which do matter, is based on political will and investment of effort and resources.”
  • Embargoed: 26th September 2022 15:42
  • Keywords: China ILO Qatar United Nations Uyghurs Xinjiang child labor forces labor labor modern slavery report
  • Location: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • City: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Europe,Government/Politics,United Nations
  • Reuters ID: LVA001474112092022RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The number of people forced to work against their will has surged in recent years to around 27.6 million on any given day, the U.N.'s International Labour Organization (ILO) said on Monday (September 12) upon releasing its modern slavery report.
    According to the latest figures, forced labour accounted for 27.6 million of those in modern slavery in 2021, more than 3.3 million of whom are children, and forced marriage for 22 million.
    Crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, armed conflicts and climate change have led to unprecedented disruption to employment and education while exacerbating extreme poverty and forced migration, the agency said.
    Compared to the last count for the year 2017, the number has risen by around 2.7 million, ILO director-general, Guy Ryder said.
    “I think, by and large, that we simply relaxed our efforts. We've taken our eye off the ball when it comes to forced labour, as we have with child labour,” he added.
    The ILO found that more than half of all forced labour occurred in either upper-middle income or high-income countries, with migrant workers more than three times as likely to be affected.
    The report made mention of Qatar, which has faced widespread allegations of labour rights violations relating to migrants working there in the run up to the FIFA soccer World Cup, starting in November.
    But since the ILO opened an office in the capital Doha in April 2018, there had been "significant progress" regarding the living and working conditions for hundreds of thousands of migrant workers in the country, even as problems remained with implementing new labour rules, the report said.
    “I have no illusions,” Ryder said. “I would, I think be a little bit naïve and insincere if I said that the problem is solved. This is going to require continued, I think, mid-term engagement with the authorities in Qatar,” he added.
    The ILO report also pointed to concern about forced labour in parts of China.
    It referred to a report released by the U.N.'s human rights commissioner on Aug. 31 that said "serious human rights violations" had been committed in China and that the detention of Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity.
    China has vigorously denied the allegations.
    (Production: Cecile Mantovani)
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