On the occasion of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Friday that some 50 million people were enslaved in 2021.
«We must identify and eradicate contemporary forms of slavery, such as human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labor, forced marriage and the use of children in armed conflict,» he explained, adding that the most vulnerable groups are ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities, as well as migrants, children or the LGBT community, with many of those affected being women.
Guterres called on world governments to commit to this scourge and demanded that they take «further action with the full participation of all stakeholders, including the private sector, trade unions, civil society and human rights institutions».
Finally, the UN Secretary General explained that «the legacy of the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans resonates to this day, scarring our societies and impeding equitable development».
