Illicit trade and modern slavery

Illicit trade fuels modern slavery. Human trafficking is a highly lucrative line of business for the global criminal network that also engages in the trade of drugs, wildlife, counterfeit products, etc. These criminals reap profit not only from the trading of human beings but also from exploiting the victims to produce, distribute and finance their illicit trade operations.

This research aims to understand the nexus between modern slavery and illicit trade by analyzing how modern slavery is involved in the value chains of different types of illicit trade operations. From laborers who are forced to produce counterfeit products with little to no compensation, to women that are coerced into sexual labor to make money for organized crime groups, we identified that modern slavery can be found in each step of the illicit trade value chains.

Illicit trade and modern slavery - Junghoon Park, Kelsie Imus, Alyssa Klotz, Jelena Pejovic (Mekong Club and Erb Institute at University of Michigan), May 2022 DOWNLOAD

Cambodia’s trafficked brides: The escalating phenomenon of forced marriage in China

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When: May 11, 2022 @ 11:00 am – 12:30 pm

Report launch: Wednesday, 11 May 2022 16:00-17:30 ICT (Cambodia/Vietnam) | 11:00-12:30 CEST (Austria) | 10:00-11:30 BST (UK) The number of women travelling from Cambodia to China for forced or arranged marriages has surged since 2016 and experienced a further spike...

TAGS: Informal Sector Asia

A Baseline Assessment on Business and Human Rights in Africa: From the First Decade to the Next

News & Analysis

In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights: Implementing the United Nations “Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework (UNGPs), introducing a new standard and authoritat...Read More

TAGS: Due Diligence Africa

Effectiveness of Public Procurement Measures in addressing Modern Slavery

News & AnalysisStandards & Codes of ConductLegislation

This Modern Slavery PEC Policy Brief is the third in a series of Policy Briefs that assess the evidence base on the effectiveness of different regulatory interventions to address modern slavery in global supply chains, a key research priority for th...Read More

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Work behind bars: Analysis of prison labor in the United States based on international labor standards

News & Analysis

The U.S. prison system has been under increasing scrutiny in recent years for issues such as systemic racism, inhumane conditions, overcrowding, and sexual violence. While these issues are extremely pressing, another important issue, forced prison l...Read More

TAGS: Sourcing or Production Informal Sector North America