ILO’S REPORT ON FORCED LABOUR (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Social Justice)

Context: Recently, a study released by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva revealed that forced labor generates illegal profits worth $36 billion per year.

Highlights of Report

• Significant Increase in Illegal Profits: Illegal profits from forced labor have surged by 37% since 2014, propelled by a rise in coerced labor and higher profits from victim exploitation.
• Profit Dynamics and Geographic Distribution: The report reveals that traffickers are now generating close to $10,000 per victim, with Europe and Central Asia leading in annual illegal profits, followed by Asia and the Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and the Arab States.
• Alarming Statistics: The report highlights that on any given day in 2021, 27.6 million people were subjected to forced labor, witnessing an increase of 2.7 million individuals between 2016 and 2021.
• Profit Distribution by Sector: Forced commercial sexual exploitation constitutes 73% of total illegal profits, while industries like manufacturing and services follow closely, highlighting the diverse sectors contributing to this nefarious economy.

International Labour Organisation (ILO)

• About: The International Labour Organization (ILO) is the United Nations agency for the world of work.
• Mandate: Its mandate is to advance social and economic justice through setting international labour standards.
• Motto: ILO’s mandate as the basis for peace is expressed today as Decent Work for all.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• Parent organization: Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
• Members: The ILO has 187 member states: 186 out of 193 UN member states plus the Cook Islands.
• Structure: It is the only tripartite U.N. agency that brings together governments, employers and workers’ representatives of 187-member States.