Global Slavery Index 2023: G20 nations fuelling modern slavery

Source: The post is based on the article “Global Slavery Index 2023: G20 nations fuelling modern slavery” published in Business Standard on 13th June 2023

What is the News?

The Global Slavery Index 2023 has been released.

What is the Global Slavery Index?

Global Slavery Index(GSI) provides national estimates of modern slavery for 160 countries.

It is presented by Walk Free, a human rights organization and is based on data provided by the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery which, in turn, is produced by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Walk Free, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

What is Modern Slavery?

It refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuses of power.

It is an umbrella term and includes a whole variety of abuses such as forced labour, forced marriage, debt bondage, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, slavery-like practices, forced or servile marriage, and the sale and exploitation of children.

Note: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations resolve to end modern slavery. Target 8.7 of the SDGs states: “Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025, end child labour in all its forms”.

What are the key findings of Global Slavery Index 2023?

Prevalence of Modern Slavery: An estimated 50 million people were living in modern slavery on any given day in 2021, an increase of 10 million people since 2016.

– Among these 50 million (of which 12 million are children), 28 million suffer from forced labour and 22 million from forced marriages.

Modern Slavery among countries: There are three sets of key findings: 

– The first set consists of countries that top in terms of the prevalence of modern slavery. The prevalence refers to the incidence of modern slavery per 1,000 population. On this count, the following 10 countries are the worst offenders: North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Tajikistan, the UAE, Russia, Afghanistan and Kuwait.

– The second set consists of countries with the lowest prevalence. The list includes countries such as Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Ireland, Japan, and Finland.

– The third set consists of countries hosting the maximum number of people living in modern slavery. The list is as follows: India, China, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Turkey, Bangladesh, and the US.