A recent report by international human rights group Walk Free reveals that approximately half of the individuals worldwide subjected to "modern slavery" reside in the world's top 20 wealthiest economies. The report highlights how the Group of 20 major economies contribute to the prevalence of forced labor through both global supply chains and state-imposed coercion.
These economies collectively imported products valued at $468 billion, potentially produced through forced labor, with the United States accounting for nearly $170 billion of that amount. Walk Free's Founding Director, Grace Forrest, emphasized that modern slavery fundamentally stems from severe inequality, serving as a reflection of power dynamics within societies. This paradox is particularly evident within the global economy's transnational supply chains.
According to a recent report by the Walk Free Foundation, a collaboration between various United Nations agencies, the number of people living in slavery globally reached 50 million by 2021.
The report also identified the G-20 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union, as major contributors to the issue. Importantly, the study highlighted specific products such as electronics, clothing, palm oil, solar panels, and textiles as being particularly susceptible to modern slavery within global supply chains.
According to the report, the ten countries with the highest rates of modern slavery are North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. These nations were identified as having a significant prevalence of modern slavery based on the report's findings.
Walk Free has highlighted common factors among the countries with high rates of modern slavery, including limited protections for human and civil rights, political instability, and authoritarianism. Additionally, the report emphasizes that the increase in modern slavery can also be attributed to the impacts of climate change.
more people are forced to migrate due to extreme weather events, they become more vulnerable and susceptible to exploitation. Walk Free emphasizes the urgent need for action, calling on governments worldwide to enhance their efforts in eradicating modern slavery within their borders and supply chains. The organization stresses that while the scale of the issue and necessary policies are known, it is political will that is crucial for effecting meaningful change.