UN urges governments, private sectors to help eradicate modern slavery

(December 02, 2011) The head of the United Nations has urged private and public sectors to find new strategies and measures to help eradicate contemporary forms of slavery. “Debt bondage, serfdom and forced labour; trafficking in persons and trafficking for the purpose of organ removal; sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, the sale of wives, widow inheritance, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict – these are among the manifestations of slavery today. All are crimes and egregious violations of human rights,” wrote UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon in a message for the Dec. 2nd International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, observed on Friday. “While Governments bear the primary responsibility, the private sector has an integral role to play” in helping eradicate contemporary forms of slavery, Ban said. He expressed satisfaction that the business sector has widely supported the UN’s recent ‘Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights’ to ensure that states and businesses do not cause or contribute to contemporary forms of slavery in the workplace, in supply chains and elsewhere. The UN chief also recalled that this year marks 20 years of activities of the UN Voluntary Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery that runs projects to helps victims regain their independence, lives and dignity. Ban appealed to all governments, business enterprises, NGOs and other partners to demonstrate their commitment to fighting slavery by making a financial contribution to the Fund, and by working closely together to end the scourge of slavery.