Webinar on Eradicating Forced Labour from Global Supply Chains

Wednesday 26 October 2011 - Webinar convened by the ILO and the UN Global Compact Office

The ILO estimates that at least 12.3 million people are victims of forced labour worldwide, about eighty per cent of whom are exploited by private agents. Most victims receive little or no earnings, and work for long hours in extremely poor and unsafe conditions. Many of the victims are trafficked across or within international borders. Forced labour is a truly global problem, often affecting migrant workers, indigenous people or other groups of workers who lack legal protection. .

The ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (1998) and the ILO Tripartite Declaration of Principles concerning Multinational Enterprises and Social Policy (MNE Declaration) call upon enterprises to help combat forced labour. While companies operating legally do not normally employ forced labour, they may become associated with such practices through their business links with others, including contractors and suppliers. As a result all managers should be aware of the forms and causes of forced labour, as well as how it might occur in different industry sectors and along the supply chains.

This webinar will provide practical guidance for business in working with trade unions, civil society groups and public policy actors to identify and eliminate forced labour and trafficking. The seminar will also highlight specific ILO projects involving business.

The webinar will be conducted by experts from the ILO’s Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour.

The webinar is taking place on Wednesday 26 October 9:30 AM (New York time) 3:30 PM (Geneva time). Registration is required to participate. To register, please send a message to webinar@unglobalcompact.org