A significant share of child labour and human trafficking in global supply chains occurs at their lower tiers, in activities such as raw material extraction and agriculture, making due diligence, visibility and traceability challenging. The report, Ending child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in global supply chains, provides the first ever estimates of child labour and human trafficking in global supply chains, and shows the urgent need for effective action to tackle the violations of core labour rights that are occurring.
New information on child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in global supply chains is revealed in a report compiled by the ILO, OECD, IOM and UNICEF – members of the Alliance 8.7 partnership on child labour, forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking.
Amongst those in child labour, the percentage in global supply chains varies across regions:
26 per cent in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia
22 per cent in Latin America and the Caribbean
12 per cent in Central and Southern Asia
12 per cent in Sub-Saharan Africa
9 per cent in Northern Africa and Western Asia.
The estimates were generated by combining data on the estimated total number of children in child labour with data on trade flows and value chains within countries and across borders. The same exercise was carried out for human trafficking. The goods and services we buy are composed of inputs from many countries around the world and are processed, assembled, packaged, transported and consumed across borders and markets
The report underscores the critical role of States in addressing gaps in statutory legislation, enforcement, and access to justice (which creates space for non-compliance) and in establishing a framework for responsible business conduct. It also examines how Governments can lead by example by integrating due diligence considerations into their own activities as procurers of goods and services, owners of enterprises and providers of credit and loans.
The results make clear that efforts against human trafficking in global supply chains will be inadequate if they do not extend beyond immediate suppliers to include actors upstream engaged in activities such as raw material extraction and agriculture, and serving as inputs to other industries. For business, the report underscores the need for a comprehensive, whole-of-supply-chain approach to due diligence.
The report was compiled in response to a call by the Group of Twenty (G20) Labour and Employment Ministers to assess violations of core labour rights in global supply chains. It offers a unique interagency perspective on the causes of these human rights violations and on the priorities for governments, businesses and social partners in addressing them. The report was produced by the International Labour Organization (ILO), Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The Alliance 8.7 report has been released globally as part of efforts to accelerate action towards the achievement of Target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which calls on governments around the world to end child labour by 2025 and to put in place effective measures to end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking by 2030.
Comments