The United Nations urges people to commemorate the victims of slavery, act to end a “modern and ruthless tragedy,” and protect the roughly 50 million people worldwide currently subjected to contemporary forms of slavery — many of whom are women and children.
“Slavery is not only a horror from history books, but also a modern and ruthless crisis,” Guterres said.
He recalled that the world must act to protect those trapped today: “We mobilize to protect the estimated 50 million people around the world currently subjected to modern forms of slavery, many of them women and children.”
He also renewed the call to prevent human rights violations such as forced labor and forced marriage from creating new victims.
The statement notes that contemporary forms of slavery are perpetuated by criminal networks exploiting people facing extreme poverty, discrimination, environmental degradation, or fleeing conflict and migration — depriving them of their rights and dignity.
On the occasion of the annual international commemoration, the message honors past victims — in particular the more than 15 million men, women and children from Africa who were enslaved or died during the transatlantic slave trade.
Guterres called on governments, businesses, civil society, and trade unions to unite in ending the crisis once and for all; to offer justice, fair compensation, rehabilitation and guarantees for victims and their families; and to ensure such exploitation never recurs.
He emphasized that a world built on freedom, dignity and justice for everyone is not only possible but also “our shared responsibility.”
