The Global Slavery Index 2014
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Cover image – G.M.B. Akash image – G.M.B. Cover Copyright © 2014. Hope for Children Organization Australia Ltd. All rights reserved. Printed in Australia. 2. HIGHLIGHTS OF THE GLOBAL SLAVERY INDEX This is the second edition of the Global Slavery Index (the Index). It is the first Index of its kind – providing an estimate, country by country, of the number of people living in modern slavery today. Estimated people in Of those living in modern slavery globally modern slavery 35.8 61% are in five countries: MILLION India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Russia The prevalence of In absolute terms, the countries The governments that You may choose to look the other way but you modern slavery is with the highest number of are taking the least ‘‘ highest in: people in modern slavery are: action to end modern can never say again that you did not know. slavery are: ’’ Mauritania India William Wilberforce Uzbekistan China North Korea Haiti Pakistan Iran Qatar Uzbekistan Syria India Russia Eritrea Pakistan Nigeria Central African Republic Democratic Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo of the Congo Libya Sudan Indonesia Equatorial Guinea Syria Bangladesh Uzbekistan Central African Republic Thailand Republic of the Congo Iraq The governments that are When economic capacity The governments that taking the most action is taken into account, should be doing more, to end modern slavery are: these countries are given their wealth are: taking strong efforts Netherlands to respond to modern Hong Kong Sweden slavery with relatively Kuwait United States limited resources: Brunei Australia Georgia Singapore Switzerland Philippines Qatar Ireland Macedonia Norway Jamaica United Kingdom Georgia Austria About the Index ● It provides an analysis of the prevalence of modern slavery in terms of the percentage of a national population and the total number of people living in modern slavery – country by country, region by region. ● For the first time, the Index includes an analysis of what governments are doing to eradicate modern slavery. ● It also looks at the contextual factors that make people vulnerable to modern slavery. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This is the second edition of the Global Slavery Index When the absolute number of people in modern slavery operating in their countries: the United States of America, (‘the Index’). The Index estimates the number of people per country is considered, the country ranking shifts. The Brazil and Australia. in modern slavery in 167 countries. This year’s Index also ten countries with the largest estimated numbers of people Considered overall, countries taking the most action to end includes an analysis of what governments are doing to in modern slavery are: India, China, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, modern slavery are: the Netherlands, Sweden, the United eradicate modern slavery. In addition to measuring the Russia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, States, Australia, Switzerland, Ireland, Norway, the extent of the problem and the actions taken, the Index Indonesia, Bangladesh and Thailand. Taken together, United Kingdom, Georgia, and Austria. increases our understanding of the contextual factors that these ten countries account for 71 percent of the total Despite the fact that the highest ranking countries have make people vulnerable to modern slavery. estimate of 35.8 million people living in modern slavery. comparatively more robust policies in place, most have The Index is the flagship report produced by the Walk Free The regions with the lowest estimates of people enslaved the economic capacity to do significantly more to end Foundation, a global human rights organisation dedicated are Europe and North America. Iceland and Ireland have modern slavery. to ending modern slavery. The Walk Free Foundation was the lowest prevalence of modern slavery in the world. When national economic capacity is taken into account, founded by Australian philanthropists, Andrew and Scandinavian countries with comparatively low prevalence countries that are making comparatively strong efforts with Nicola Forrest. The methodology for the Index was include Norway, Finland and Denmark. Canada has the limited resources include: Georgia, the Philippines and developed by an internal research team and through external lowest estimated prevalence in the Americas, and New Jamaica, with criminal justice responses in place, and consultations with an international and independent Expert Zealand, Taiwan and Australia have the smallest concentration Macedonia, with relatively strong support services for Advisory Group. of people enslaved in the Asia Pacific region. victims of modern slavery. The 2014 Global Slavery Index estimates there are In 2014, the Index includes an analysis of 167 government The countries with the weakest responses to modern slavery 35.8 million people living in some form of modern responses based on five objectives that every single are: North Korea, Iran, Syria, Eritrea, the Central African slavery globally. country should seek to accomplish in order to eradicate Republic, Libya, Equatorial Guinea, Uzbekistan, the modern slavery: The estimated prevalence of people in modern slavery has Republic of the Congo, and Iraq. Many of these countries increased from 2013. It is important to note that we are not ● Survivors are identified, supported to exit and remain have weak economies, such as Equatorial Guinea, or have asserting that there has been an increase in modern slavery out of modern slavery. been plagued by conflict and political instability in recent around the world over the last year. We believe that the ● Criminal justice mechanisms address modern slavery. years – for example, Libya, Central African Republic and majority of this increase is due to the improved accuracy ● Coordination and accountability mechanisms for the Syria. Some governments impose state-sponsored modern and precision of our measures, and that we are uncovering central government are in place. slavery, as experienced by the 1.2 million people forced to modern slavery where it was not found before. ● Attitudes, social systems and institutions that enable harvest cotton in Uzbekistan, or those forced to labour in This year’s improved methodology includes nationally modern slavery are addressed. prison camps in North Korea. ● Businesses and governments through their public representative random sample surveys undertaken in seven Lastly, the vulnerability of individuals to enslavement procurement stop sourcing goods and services that use countries, which provided data points for ten countries. within countries was investigated by analysing five modern slavery. In addition, we obtained data from a further nine random dimensions, including, state policy on modern slavery, sample surveys, increasing the number of countries where It is promising that the majority of countries have human rights, human development, state stability, and levels survey data is available to a total of 19. In 2013, we released a basic national action plan to address some forms of discrimination. The findings illustrate a strong link From children denied an education by the Index with a sense of urgency to raise awareness of of modern slavery, and/or a national body tasked between the stability or instability of a country and the being forced to work or marry early, modern slavery while acknowledging that the figures were with coordinating responses to this crime. However, vulnerability of its population to modern slavery. Anti- an imperfect estimate. As modern slavery is a hidden crime to men unable to leave their work implementation continues to be weak. slavery policies will have little impact when a country’s rule and notoriously difficult to measure, in 2014, these surveys because of crushing debts they owe to Aside from North Korea, all countries also have national of law has broken down because of civil war, or ethnic or have enabled us to have a more precise measurement of the religious conflict. recruitment agents, to women and girls laws that criminalise at least some form of modern slavery. number of people enslaved. We will continue to improve While most countries have patchy, basic victim support High levels of prejudice and discrimination in a society exploited as unpaid, abused domestic the methodology by including more random sample surveys services, very few countries have comprehensive services can also create a context that marks some people as less workers, modern slavery has many faces every year. for men, women and children, covering both emergency important and less deserving of rights and protection, which and comes in many different forms. For 2014, the ten countries with the highest estimated support and long term reintegration services. Norway is one in turn makes the crime of modern slavery easier to commit It still exists today, in every country – prevalence of modern slavery by population are: Mauritania, of the few countries in the world which provides holistic against them. Statistical testing confirms the connection modern slavery affects us all. Uzbekistan, Haiti, Qatar, India, Pakistan, the Democratic services for victims of modern slavery. between discrimination and modern slavery. Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Syria and the Central Globally, only three of 167 governments are making African Republic. These countries span different regions, some effort to address modern slavery in government they have diverse political systems, and range from low to procurement and in the supply chains of businesses high income economies. Image – G.M.B.