Global leaders set to adopt Pact for the Future with focus on modern slavery
As global leaders prepare to adopt the Pact for the Future at the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, the focus on modern slavery, human trafficking, forced and child marriage, and forced labour highlights the urgent need for action against these human rights violations.
Leaders will adopt the Pact for the Future at the 79th Session of UNGA during the Summit of the Future.
The Pact is a document that sets out priority actions, which will act as the starting point for deliberations by UN Member States this year.
“We welcome the inclusion of modern slavery, human trafficking, forced and child marriage, and forced labour in Action 34 and Action 38 of the Pact of the Future. It reflects the particular vulnerabilities of women and girls and young people to this egregious human rights violation,” Walk Free’s Director of Operations Katharine Bryant said.
“This is especially important given the worsening situation – the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery, produced by Walk Free together with the ILO and the IOM, has shown that 50 million people are experiencing forced marriage and forced labour.
“This is a 10 million person increase over the past five years and has occurred as a result of compounding crises – such as COVID-19, conflict and climate change.”
Walk Free worked alongside other anti-slavery advocates to provide input and bolster support from integral stakeholders to ensure modern slavery was included in the Pact.
Urgent action is needed to combat modern slavery and address vulnerabilities
There is an urgent need to increase efforts to eradicate human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery.
These efforts contribute to SDG Target 8.7, which seeks to end forced labour, modern slavery, and human trafficking. This also significantly promotes the achievement of other SDG targets such as gender equality, quality education, ending poverty, decent work, climate action, and peace, justice and strong institutions.
“While we recognise the particular vulnerabilities of women, girls and young people to forced labour and human trafficking, this omits the vulnerabilities that other groups face. For example, the Global Estimates also found that adult migrant workers were 3 times more likely to be in forced labour than non-migrant workers,” says Bryant.
Walk Free is pleased that the Pact for the Future includes modern slavery considerations for youth and future generations in Action 38.
However, modern slavery affects people of all ages and is caused by collective injustice and cannot be addressed in isolation from other social issues.
We urge the UN Member States to embed modern slavery considerations in all of their deliberations to build a more just world.
At a minimum, based on the third revised version of the Pact for the Future, we suggest the right to be free from modern slavery and forced labour be added into Chapter 1, Action 7(a) and the right to freely and fully consent to marriage into Action 8.
As of 3rd September, Revision 3 of the Pact of the Future includes modern slavery, human trafficking, forced and child marriage, and forced labour under:
Action 34. We will ensure that science, technology and innovation improve gender equality and the lives of all women and girls.
(b) Address gender-related risks and challenges emerging from the use of technologies, including all forms of violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, trafficking in persons, harassment, bias and discrimination against all women and girls that occur through, or are amplified by, the use of technology, including against women migrant workers.
Action 38. We will promote, protect and respect the human rights of all young people and foster social inclusion and integration.
(b) Intensify international, regional, and national efforts to take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and trafficking in persons, especially women and children, and eliminate all forms of child labor.
(c) Address the challenges faced by all young women and girls, including by combating gender stereotypes and negative social norms and eliminating discrimination, harassment, all forms of violence against young women and girls, including sexual and gender-based violence, and harmful practices, including female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriage.
