20 of the world’s richest economies are major contributors to modern slavery: NPR

A worker carries a Chinese national flag to put it with those of other participating countries during the opening session of the G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, March 2, 2023.

Manish Swarup/AP

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Manish Swarup/AP

A worker carries a Chinese national flag to put it with those of other participating countries during the opening session of the G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting, in New Delhi, India, Thursday, March 2, 2023.

Manish Swarup/AP

According to a new report, the world’s 20 richest economies accounted for about half of the world’s people living in “modern slavery”.

The report released this week by Walk Free, an international human rights group, found that countries belonging to the Group of 20 major economies have helped fuel forced labor through global supply chains and forced labor imposed by the state. Between the 20 countries, they imported $468 billion worth of products possibly made by forced labor, with the United States accounting for nearly $170 billion, according to the report.

“At its core, modern slavery is a manifestation of extreme inequality,” Grace Forrest, founding director of Walk Free, said in a statement. “It’s a mirror held up to power, reflecting who in a given society has it and who doesn’t. Nowhere is this paradox more present than in our global economy through transnational supply chains. ”

The G-20 includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States and European Union. .

The imported products most considered “at risk” of being affected by modern slavery were electronics, clothing, palm oil, solar panels and textiles.

Last year, the Australia-based Walk Free Foundation teamed up with various UN agencies to release a report saying that by 2021 the number of enslaved people worldwide had risen to 50 million.

The 10 countries with the highest prevalence of modern slavery are North Korea, Eritrea, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Afghanistan and Kuwait, according to the report.

These countries have commonalities, such as limited human and civil rights protections, political instability or authoritarianism, Walk Free said.

The increase can also be attributed to climate change, as more people migrate due to intense weather events, making them more vulnerable and susceptible to exploitation, according to the report.

“With 50 million people living in modern slavery today, this Global Slavery Index demands immediate action. Walk Free calls on governments around the world to step up their efforts to end modern slavery on their coasts and in their supply chains. We know the scale of the problem and have the knowledge and policies to act. What we need now is political will.