The report notes that
countries such as Jamaica and Brazil are
making strong efforts despite having relatively less resources than wealthier
countries, while the governments taking the least action include countries in
the Middle East and a few African countries. It states that the ten countries
with the largest estimated absolute numbers of people in modern slavery include
some of the world’s most populous countries: India, China, Pakistan,
Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, North Korea, Russia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic
of the Congo, and Indonesia.
Walk Free Foundation argues that its Global Slavery Index is
based on state of the art research methodology that has been developed with the
assistance of an independent Expert Working Group, comprised of world leading
experts. The methodology, it says, has also been subjected to independent
external review. This estimate is based on data from nationally-representative,
random sample surveys conducted in 25 countries. All surveys were conducted
face-to-face in key local languages using a standardised instrument.
Collectively, these surveys represent 44 percent of the global population. The
results of these surveys have been extrapolated to countries with an equivalent
risk profile.
According to the foundation, Asia,
the most populous region in the world, has an estimated two thirds of the total
number of people in modern slavery. This region provides low-skilled labour for
the production stage of global supply chains for industries including food
production, garments and technology.
Despite having the lowest
regional prevalence of modern slavery in the world, the study says Europe
remains a source and destination for forced labour and commercial sexual
exploitation. While the impact of the massive influx of migrants and refugees
in 2015 and 2016 remains to be seen, it is already clear that this group is
highly vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.
In Russia and Eurasia, cases
of state-sponsored forced labour have been documented in several countries,
including in Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Reports suggest instances of forced
labour and recruitment of children for armed conflict in Ukraine.
Africa, south of the Sahara,
accounts for approximately 15 percent of the world's total enslaved population.
Escalation of violence in Nigeria following the Boko Haram conflict has sparked
a humanitarian crisis in neighbouring countries. According to the study, new
figures from South Africa confirms the existence of forced labour in the
commercial sex industry, construction, manufacturing and factory work, and drug
trafficking.
“Slavery is abhorrent, more rampant than at
any time in history, and entirely avoidable,” says Andrew Forrest, the founder
and chairman of Walk Free Foundation. “Unlike major world epidemics such as
malaria and HIV/AIDS, slavery is a human condition of our own making.”
Forrest argues that slavery
and its components, forced labour and trafficking, are the ultimate economic
negative multipliers.
“Slavery is an evil and
corrupt practice,” he says. “The sovereign leaders and corporations, who signal
they have had enough of slavery in their social systems and are prepared to
move quickly to eradicate slave masters and incarcerate those who continue to
practice after warnings, will send the best possible economic signals to the
investment world. I can confidently state that there is no shortage of capital
in the world, but there is a dearth of responsible, attractive investment
destinations.”
Similar sentiment as Forrest’s has been expressed by the
United Nations (UN), which previously pointed out that various international agreements define slavery and human trafficking
as a crime against humanity punishable by international laws.
“An international legally binding protocol is
essential to fight forced labour and hold perpetrators accountable, so its
immediate implementation will be crucial,” the UN says.