The International Labour Office (ILO) as one of The United Nation Agency for Labour Matter, launched its Forced Labour Global Report. The report is entitled The Cost of Coercion that comes with a powerful economic argument, as well as a moral imperative. Governments must give higher priority to combating forced labour practices in the private sector.

Besides from the criminal aspects surrounding forced labour, forced labour practices result in economic losses as the opportunity cost of coercion to the workers affected by these abusive practices, in terms of lost earnings, now reaches over US$20 billion. The Cost of Coercion analyses trends, patterns and geographical incidence of forced labour practices, as well as new laws and policies that have come into existence to address these issues. It finds that most countries nowadays have legislation that deals with forced labour as a serious criminal offence.

There has also been progress at the policy level; in social protection for those at risk; in adaptation of criminal codes; and in action by ILO constituents. All these efforts contribute to a more open debate on the issues at hand as forced labour is no longer hidden or taboo, the report notes. Nevertheless, challenges remain as forced labour continues to exist, especially in developing countries.