2024 G20 Summit in Brazil unites world leaders to tackle modern slavery and high-risk imports
The 2024 G20 Summit in Brazil brings together global leaders to address critical issues like modern slavery. G20 nations import nearly $500 billion annually in goods at high risk for forced labour and exploitation.
There are more people living in modern slavery today than at any other time in history.
The number of people living in forced labour and trapped in forced marriages has increased by 10 million in 5 years.
“While we know modern slavery occurs in every country, tens of millions of people are experiencing these egregious human rights abuses at the hands of the world’s most powerful nations,” Walk Free’s Founding Director Grace Forrest explains.
“For far too long, the G20 have failed to use their position of power to drive solutions toward eliminating modern slavery. “To secure a future built on economic prosperity, that does not come at the cost of human rights, modern slavery must finally be tabled at the annual summit.”
G20’s global influence on trade and human rights
The G20 is home to 65 per cent of the global population and a large part of the world’s trade, with the potential to shape global market standards.
Their buying habits each year add up to nearly US$500 billion worth of imported goods at high risk for forced labour and other forms of exploitation.
Both the United States and China remain the largest exporting and importing economies.
The 2024 G20 Summit in Brazil this month brings together the leaders of the world’s major economies to address global challenges.
The Summit will address pressing global issues, such as economic reforms, geopolitical tensions, and the fight against modern slavery.
G20’s responsibility in addressing modern slavery
G20 countries make up 85 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP) and play a central role in the global trading system.
Among the top 10 nations with the largest number of people living in modern slavery, 6 are G20 members. This includes India, China, Russia, Indonesia, Türkiye, and the US.
Saudi Arabia has the highest prevalence of modern slavery in relation to their population. This includes people living in extreme exploitation such as forced labour and forced marriage.
Exploitation in global supply chains
Wealthy countries continue to fall short of protecting their most vulnerable.
The purchasing practices of the G20 fuel exploitation in lower-income countries at the frontlines of global supply chains.
Walk Free’s latest Global Slavery Index reveals US$468 billion worth of G20 imports are goods at risk of modern slavery, from electronics to garments, to solar panels.
Climate action requires a just transition to protect human rights
As demand for renewable energy grows to address the climate crisis, ensuring a just transition that protects both people and the planet is essential.
The G20 imports $14.8 billion worth of solar panels annually, with China leading in the production of polysilicon, a key material for these panels.
Fewer than half of the G20 members have signed the Just Transition Declaration from the 2021 UN Climate Conference.
As nations address the climate crisis, leaders must avoid sacrificing basic human rights in their push for sustainability.
Protecting migrant workers from modern slavery
Migrant workers are 3 times more likely to experience forced labour than non-migrant workers.
Gaps in protection have left survivors at risk of re-trafficking, while exploitative tied visa systems, including the kafala system, persist in cementing structural inequality for migrant workers.
With their increased vulnerability paired with the G20’s reliance on their participation in the workforce, protecting migrant workers must be a central part of economic discussions.
