The report stressed that human trafficking and modern slavery occur in every country, across many sectors, and at every stage of the supply chain. It cited the demands for cheap fashion and seafood as spurring forced labor that was hidden deep in those industries, while the worst forms of child labor are used to farm and harvest the cocoa beans that end up in chocolate. The other countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery were North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
While the United Kingdom, Australia, Netherlands, Portugal, and the United States were noted for having strong government responses to combat slavery, the report said those improvements were fewer and weaker than required.
Most G20 governments are still not doing enough to ensure that modern slavery is not involved in the production of goods imported into their countries and within the supply chains of companies they do business with.
In 2015, one of the U.N. goals adopted by the world leaders was to end HT/MS by 2030. But Walk Free said the significant increase in the number of people living in modern slavery and stagnating government action highlight that this goal is even further from being achieved.
The United Nations is calling on governments around the world to step up their efforts to end HT/MS on their shores and in their supply chains. What we need now is the political will.