Library - All resources

Why and how businesses want to eradicate forced labour

If we work together and harness the potential of SMEs we can eradicate forced labour by 2030. This ILO GBNFL brief sets out how we can achieve this.

Delta 8.7 Markets Policy Guide

This guide looks at how economic policy, trade policy, financial policy, development policy and supply chains can help end forced labour.

2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark

The first Food and Agriculture Benchmark measures and ranks 350 of the world’s most influential food and agriculture companies on their environmental, nutritional and social impact. According to the data reviewed, the majority of companies lack comprehensive commitments and procedures prohibiting child and forced labour in their operations and supply chain.

PROMISING PRACTICES: A global database of anti-slavery practices and outcomes to establish what works in the fight against modern slavery.

The database, originally set up in 2015 and updated in 2020, features evaluations of anti-slavery and counter trafficking programs in a searchable format to determine what works – and what does not – to eradicate modern slavery. These evaluations cover all forms of modern slavery, including human trafficking, forced labour, and forced marriage. It includes interventions such as community empowerment programs, cash transfers, training for police, awareness raising campaigns, and case management, among other initiatives and activities. A handy report brings together lessons learned.

The human cost of illicit trade: Exposing demand for forced labour in the dark corners of the economy.

This report by ILO GBNFL Partner TRACIT shows that women, children and men of all ages and race are forced to labor in illicit sectors, where they are abused by organized criminals pursuing clandestine profits. It concludes that ending these human rights abuses will only be possible by eradicating illicit trade and the demand for forced labor associated with it.

When subterranean slavery supports sustainability transitions? Power, patriarchy, and child labor in artisanal Congolese cobalt mining.

This study examines the factors conducive to child labour and modern slavery in Congelese small and artisanal cobalt mining. It includes recommendations for government, suppliers and end-user companies.

ILO Tool 2: Forced Labour and Related Concepts

The tool explains the similarities and differences between important forced labour related concepts such as trafficking, slavery or worst forms of child labour. It is part of the Toolkit on Developing National Action Plans on Forced Labour, which can also be found in this library.

ILO Toolkit on Developing National Action Plans on Forced Labour

This toolkit supports policy-makers, ILO constituents (including employers' organizations) and others in the development of National Action Plans (NAPs) on forced labour.

ILO GBNFL Annual Report 2018-2019

The report highlights network achievements between June 2018 and the end of 2019, and also looks forward to activities planned for 2020.

ILO GBNFL 2020 Annual Meeting: The impact of COVID-19 on forced labour and how to unleash the potential of SMEs

On the 19th of November 2020, the ILO GBNFL hosted its second annual meeting to bring together members of the network and interested stakeholders. The event focussed on the impact of COVID-19 on forced labour as well as engaging small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Recordings available only.

Promoting fair recruitment and employment: A guidance tool for hotels in Qatar

This guidance tool is a resource to promote fair recruitment and employment standards in the hospitality sector in Qatar. It aims to support hotel companies in Qatar to respond to labour rights challenges by implementing appropriate policies and exercising thorough and ongoing human and labour rights due diligence.

Online course: How to Implement Fair Recruitment in the Mexican Agriculture Sector (in Spanish)

This course by Ahifores is composed of 8 different lessons and had been completed by more than 300 businesses in May 2022. For more information, see our podcast on forced labour and child labour in Mexico

Policy briefs: Viet Nam

ILO GBNFL's policy briefs on forced labour and fair recruitment have helped Vietnam to improve legislation to protect migrant workers.

UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons

This 2020 UNODC report covers 148 countries and provides an overview of patterns and flows of trafficking in persons at global, regional and national levels.

Putting Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises First: Why SMEs are Crucial in the Responsible Business Conduct Conversation

This ILO GBNFL policy brief by Laura J. Spence, Professor of Business Ethics at Royal Holloway, University of London UK, looks at why SMEs have been left out of the Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) conversation and how to include them.

Eradicating forced labour in the better normal

This ILO GBNFL event explored how we can eradicate forced labour given the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting summary features recommendations for governments, businesses, and the ILO GBNFL network.

Social and economic effects of COVID-19 crisis risk worsening forced labour

As the effects of COVID-19 exacerbate root causes, action from the public and private sectors is necessary to prevent an increase in forced labour. This ILO GBNFL brief makes recommendations for action for both businesses and governments.

ILO GBNFL online training course: The ILO’s 11 indicators of forced labour

Luiz Machado, the ILO’s Technical Specialist on Forced Labour, presents the indicators and gives practical examples of how they can be applied. The 11 operational indicators are intended to help with the identification of forced labour, how it arises, and how it affects its victims. This course is a recording and not interactive.

Achieving fair recruitment: What works?

Nearly one in four victims of forced labour is a migrant worker. Given the risk of human trafficking and forced labour, promoting fair recruitment is critical to forced labour prevention. This ILO GBNFL webinar created a platform for ILO experts, initiatives working on fair recruitment, and employer and business membership organization to discuss current models that are working well to promote fair recruitment as well as lessons learned. Recordings available only.

ILO Supplier Guidance on Preventing, Identifying and Addressing Child Labour

This ILO guide provides practical guidance for factories and other production sites to prevent child labour through effective age verification and the protection of young workers, and to effectively respond to it if it does occur.

Preventing forced labour in Malaysia through responsible business practices

ILO GBNFL 2019 Annual Meeting: Network coordination and reaching SMEs.

The ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour’s first Annual Meeting took place on the 21st October 2019 and brought together 35 participants among members and interested stakeholders to discuss the network’s achievements and next steps. Two key focus areas of the meeting were: 1. coordination and collaboration, and 2. reaching smaller enterprises. Summary only.

Forced labour: Global facts and figures

General principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment and definition of recruitment fees and related costs

The ILO's general principles and operational guidelines for fair recruitment are principally derived from international labour standards and related ILO instruments. They cover the recruitment of all workers, including migrant workers, whether directly by employers or through intermediaries. They apply to recruitment within or across national borders, as well as to recruitment through temporary work agencies, and cover all sectors of the economy.

Guidance tool for construction companies in the Middle East

The construction sector in the Middle East continues to bring in large numbers of lower-skilled migrant workers, as many jobs in the sector cannot be mechanized, nor are attractive to nationals. Employing a significant proportion of migrant workers brings several challenges for companies seeking to comply with labour standards and responsible business practices. This Guidance Tool aims to support companies in this regard.

Business responsibility on preventing and addressing forced labour in Malaysia: A must-read guide for Malaysian employers

This guide provides practical guidance to employers on how to identify risks of forced labour in company recruitment, employment and sourcing practices, and how to effectively prevent and eliminate these risks. It is intended for company managers and staff responsible for human resources management, social and legal compliance issues at the enterprise level.

Eliminating Forced Labour: Handbook for Parliamentarians No. 30

This guide aims to help parliamentarians to make their contribution to global efforts to effectively combat the scourge of forced labour.

ILO GBNFL comparison of the definition of ‘recruitment fees and costs’ used in industry to that set out by the ILO

Ending child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in global supply chains

This report represents the first ever attempt to measure these human rights abuses and violations on a large scale. It is divided into two parts: 1. Understanding child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in global supply chains, and 2. Responding to child labour, forced labour and human trafficking in global supply chains

Communicating and reporting on sustainability issues: A three-part course for SMEs

This course supports SMEs to meaningfully show the important and complementary ways they are acting responsibly and contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).