The fifth edition of the Global Slavery Index 2023 provides a global overview of modern slavery and is based on projections for 2022. The index is decided by Walk Free, a human rights organization, and is based on data from the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery produced by the International Labor Organization (ILO), Walk Free, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Conclusion of Global Slavery Index 2023:
- Countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery include North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Tajikistan.
- Countries with the lowest prevalence include Switzerland, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
- Countries with the largest number of people living in modern slavery include India, China, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, and Indonesia.
Global Modern Slavery Index 2023:
- Modern slavery depicts conditions of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, or abuse of power.
- It includes many forms of abuse, such as forced labor, forced marriage, debt bondage, sexual exploitation, human trafficking, slavery-like practices, forced or incestuous marriage, and the sale and exploitation of children.
One important aspect that needs attention in the report is that it cites the G20 countries as significant contributors to the further escalation of the crisis. Such nations play an important role through their trading activities and global supply chains.
The report highlights that a large number of people suffer from forced labor in some of the top G20 countries, including India, China, Russia, Indonesia, Turkey, and the US, adding to the seriousness of the situation.
The report identified climate change, armed conflict, weak governance, and health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic as contributing factors to the rise in modern slavery. More than half of people in G20 countries live in modern slavery, with conditions of forced labor worsening, mainly due to $468 billion worth of goods imported from countries with weak labor protections.
Despite adopting targets to end modern slavery, forced labor, and human trafficking by 2030, the report highlights a significant increase in the number of people trapped in modern slavery and a lack of progress in government action. The report attributed the increase of one crore people to various crises, including conflict, environmental degradation, attacks on democracy, the rolling back of women’s rights globally, and the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Global Slavery Index recommends that governments and businesses implement stronger measures and laws to prevent the sourcing of goods and services associated with modern slavery. The report recommends including anti-slavery measures in climate change sustainability plans, raising awareness for children, tightening regulations around child marriage, and implementing transparency across value chains.
To completely eliminate modern slavery, the government needs to implement laws that criminalize all forms of slavery while protecting the rights of victims. Companies must ensure that their supply chains and operations are free of forced labor and human trafficking.
Civil society must raise awareness, lobby for change, and support survivors, while individuals need to educate themselves and advocate for transparency from the companies they buy from or invest in and promptly report any suspected cases of slavery. The country needs to conduct a national survey to identify and enumerate people in a state of modern slavery.
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