UNIS/SGSM/1461
29 November 2024
On this International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, we shine a light on the estimated 50 million people worldwide trapped in horrific conditions – from human trafficking to forced labour, sexual exploitation and forced marriage.
Around the world, perpetrators prey on those made vulnerable by poverty, discrimination and conflict — including women and children — and profit from immeasurable human suffering.
These outrageous abuses have no place in the 21st century. They are not only an affront to basic human rights — they slow development, entrench inequalities, and undermine sustainable economic development.
The recently adopted Pact for the Future calls for the eradication of forced labour, an end to modern slavery and trafficking in persons, and the elimination of all forms of child labour.
To transform words into deeds, governments must strengthen law enforcement, uphold human dignity, protect, liberate and support victims, and bring perpetrators to justice. And businesses must ensure supply chains are free of exploitation and promote fair and transparent labour practices.
Everywhere, let us join forces to detect, report and abolish contemporary forms of slavery in all its forms.
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"Working as one, we must push to repeal discriminatory laws, combat violence and harmful practices, and end the scapegoating of marginalized communities." — António Guterres
"From the telegraph to radio, from the Internet to Artificial Intelligence, technology has transformed how we live, work, and connect." — António Guterres
Barbados signed and deposited its instrument of ratification for the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships (the “Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships”) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 8 May 2025.
Journalists are invited to cover the 34th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice (CCPCJ) to be held from 19 to 23 May in Vienna, Austria.
