At least 12.3 million people around the world are trapped in forced labour. The ILO works to combat the practice and the conditions that give rise to it. Forced labour takes different forms, including debt bondage, trafficking and other forms of modern slavery. The victims are the most vulnerable – women and girls forced into prostitution, migrants trapped in debt bondage, and sweatshop or farm workers kept there by clearly illegal tactics and paid little or nothing. The ILO has worked since its inception to tackle forced labour and the conditions that give rise to it and has established a Special Action Programme on Forced Labour to intensify this effort.
Forced labour
What's new
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ILO strengthens efforts to help private sector fight forced labour and human trafficking
10 November 2008 - The International Labour Office (ILO) is to reinforce its efforts to help employers and the private sector contribute to the global fight against forced labour, which the ILO estimates afflicts more than 12 million persons worldwide. -
ILO welcomes new momentum for global alliance against forced labour involving employers and workers
20 February 2008 - A recent international forum against human trafficking has generated new momentum for a global alliance aimed at abolishing forced labour in the next decade, with strong support from employer and labour representatives, according to the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Key resources
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Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour
The ILO established the Special Action Programme to combat Forced Labour (SAP-FL) in 2001 to spearhead ILO activities against forced labour, including trafficking. It is a broad-based technical cooperation programme working at the request of member states and in close collaboration with workers and employers, civil society and other international organizations. (Web page) -
Eradication of forced labour - General Survey concerning the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29), and the Abolition of Forced Labour Convention, 1957 (No. 105) - (2007) - [pdf 948 KB]
The Survey by the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations of the national legislation and practice on forced labour. (Conference paper)
Latest
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Developments concerning the question of the observance by the Government of Myanmar of the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No.29)- Report of the Liaison Officer - [GB.303/8/2 - pdf 607 KB]
10 November 2008 - (Conference paper) -
Forced labour and human trafficking: handbook for labour inspectors - [pdf 2269 KB]
01 August 2008 - (Book) -
ILC coverage: After the Cyclone - the ILO's work in Myanmar - [mp3 6979 KB]
09 June 2008 - (Audio)