KATHMANDU: The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is being observed worldwide today, with calls to end all modern forms of exploitation, including human trafficking, forced labor, sexual exploitation, child labor, forced marriage, and the recruitment of children in armed conflict.
The day marks the adoption of the UN General Assembly resolution on the suppression of human trafficking and sexual exploitation on December 2, 1949. Despite global efforts, the United Nations reports that 50 million people remain vulnerable to modern slavery, the majority of them women and children forced into exploitative labor.
Factors such as racial discrimination, poverty, social exclusion, and unequal treatment continue to put many communities at high risk. Migrant and vulnerable workers, in particular, face economic exploitation across sectors including domestic work, construction, agriculture, the garment industry, and the sex trade.
The International Labour Organization (ILO) has stressed the need for coordinated action among governments, civil society, and communities, highlighting the importance of rescue, rehabilitation, justice, and long-term protection for victims.
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