Modern esclavage: Walk Free Report 2023
According to the Global Slavery Index 2023, the crises of recent years (Covid-19, armed conflicts, ...) have aggravated the risks associated with modern slavery and rich countries have failed in their duty to protect the most vulnerable.
In May, the Australian Walk Free Foundation published itsGlobal Slavery Index 2023, a flagship report published every five years that assesses the global situation regarding modern slavery and forced labour. According to this study based on the year 2021,50 million people worldwide live in a situation of modern slavery28 million victims of forced labour and 22 million forced marriage. Women, children and migrants remain the most affected by this scourge. It must be noted that the crises of the last five years (Covid-19, armed conflict, environmental degradation, etc.) have increased the risk of modern slavery and have affected progress towards eradication.
The Walk Free Global Slavery Index is the most comprehensive data set in the world. These data are used to mobilize powerful forces of change against human rights violations, with Walk Free working closely with governments, businesses, religious leaders and community leaders to change attitudes.
The ten countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery are North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Afghanistan and Kuwait. They are usually countries with similar political, social and economic characteristics, sometimes with some political instability, conflicts or authoritarianism. In some countries, the government requires citizens to work in defined sectors, in private prisons or in forced conscription. Other countries host large numbers of refugees or migrant workers, vulnerable to exploitation. Still others have inherited hereditary slavery systems that continue to perpetuate.
Forced labour is mainly practised in lower- and upper-middle-income countries closely linked to the demand of higher-income countries through complex and opaque supply chains.Buying practices of governments and the wealthiest businesses thus feed low-income countries into global supply chains, G20 countries account for more than 75 per cent of world trade.
Since the previous Global Slavery Index in 2018, the overall improvements made by governments to combat modern slavery have been fewer and weaker than the situation requires. Australia's modern slavery law has seen the most remarkable improvement, as it requires some companies to account for the risks of modern slavery in their supply chain and the measures they take to address it.
In Australia,good practice toolbox (Good Practice Toolkit : strengthening modern slavery responses) was also developed to provide Australian companies with advice on due diligence and human rights, and to provide guidance on how to respond to the Modern Slavery Act (MSA). Based on several years of collaborative research, this toolkit highlights the two areas in which companies need to step up their efforts: their engagement with stakeholders and their engagement with suppliers. Indeed, involving stakeholders, workers and their representatives is a crucial element of due diligence in human rights. Furthermore, giving priority to suppliers who have demonstrated respect for human rights also seems the best option. This guide does not only provide advice, but also provides concrete examples of good practice. Although it was originally created for Australian companies, it is a valuable tool that can be used by companies around the world.
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Source(s): Walk Free | Business-humanrights.org
Editor(s): C. Bedouin