Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking launched their first report

On April 8th, 2025, the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking launched their first report at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. This launch shared key takeaways from the report with members of the UN, and allowed commissioners, survivors and other report contributors to share valuable personal insights on the report's content through speaking opportunities and panel discussions.

A Brief History of Empowerment Collective's Involvement with the Global Commission

In 2024, Empowerment Collective's founder Nasreen Sheikh was appointed as a commissioner to the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, an international initiative led by former UK Prime Minister Theresa May. The Commission aims to exert high-level political leverage to restore momentum towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, which seeks to eradicate all forms of modern slavery and human trafficking by 2030. Nasreen's appointment brings a vital survivor-led perspective to the Commission's work. Her lived experience and advocacy are instrumental in shaping policies that address the complexities of modern slavery.

Through Nasreen's involvement as a commissioner, Empowerment Collective has contributed and will continue to contribute to the Commission's objectives by:

 

- Advocating for Survivor-Informed Policies: Ensuring that the voices of survivors are central to policy development and implementation.

- Promoting Global Collaboration: Working alongside international leaders to enhance cooperation and amplify existing efforts to end modern slavery.

- Advancing Research and Awareness: Supporting the development of high-quality research to inform effective responses and raise global awareness.

Nasreen's appointment with the Global Commission reflects a shared commitment to eradicating modern slavery through survivor-led advocacy, international cooperation, and informed policy development. Together, we strive to create a world where freedom and dignity are fundamental rights for all.

Press Responses to the Global Commission Report Launch

The report launch was covered by major international news sources, media platforms, and academic institutions, including Forbes, CNN, BBC, the University of Oxford, and more. These platforms amplified the messages shared in the report, expressing the need for increased awareness around how modern slavery intersects with every aspect of our lives and with other seemingly-unrelated global crises (i.e. climate change and political conflict), and they echo the Global Commission's call for international political and social engagement in ending the root causes of modern slavery.

Many of these articles featured direct quotes from Nasreen where she calls for people to see that "faceless casualties are generated every day through the purchasing decisions of unconscious consumption, and the blind eyes of a global economic system that cannot be separated from our supply chains," and expresses the necessity of "prioritizing transparency, addressing root vulnerabilities, and valuing survivor insight" to set "a new standard for how we respond to modern slavery."

Report Overview + Key Takeaways from Each Chapter

Foreward

• Urges people to understand modern-day slavery as deeply interconnected with global systems and crises, and to see how it has been pushed down on political agendas by the very issues which directly perpetuate it (COVID, climate, conflict, etc.)

Introduction

• Modern slavery—defined as the systemic exploitation and control of individuals for personal, commercial, or criminal gain—continues to thrive globally despite long-standing international commitments to eradicate it. Meaningful progress requires a coordinated, cross-sectoral response involving governments, businesses, civil society, and consumers to confront the economic, technological, cultural, and criminal forces that sustain this hidden yet pervasive abuse.

• Understanding modern slavery as a form of genocide and ecocide is critical to sparking immediate action to put a stop to the destruction of millions of lives.

Chapter 1: What is modern slavery & human trafficking?

• Recognized under numerous international laws as a violation of human rights, modern slavery is a severe form of exploitation characterized by coercion, control, and the stripping of human dignity, encompassing a range of practices: forced labor, child exploitation, domestic servitude, forced marriage, forced sexual exploitation, forced begging, debt bondage, organ removal and cross-border organ trafficking, forced criminality, and child soldiering. 

• The primary distinction between human trafficking and modern slavery is that human trafficking often facilitates modern slavery, while modern slavery emphasizes sustained domination and loss of freedom. Both require comprehensive legal, social, and political responses to address their many forms and root causes.

Chapter 2: No country is immune – the global reach of modern slavery

• Modern slavery affects both high and low income countries in all regions of the world, with an estimated 50 million people trapped in forced labour or forced marriage as of 2021—disproportionately impacting women, girls, and children—and its forms and prevalence vary by region, often hidden and underreported due to inconsistent definitions, limited data, and lack of transparency.

• The crisis is growing, with an increase of 10 million people since 2016, and highlights the need for global, regionally tailored strategies that account for local patterns of exploitation.

Chapter 3: A deepening, interconnected crisis

• Modern slavery and human trafficking are deeply interconnected with global crises—including climate change, armed conflict, forced displacement, and socio-economic instability—creating a cycle in which vulnerable populations, especially women and children, are exploited as they seek safety or survival. These challenges are compounded by organized crime, exploitative migration systems, and environmental degradation, all of which systemically drive and are driven by modern slavery.

Chapter 4: The global response so far

• Effectively addressing modern slavery requires coordinated, multi-level action that integrates survivor leadership and community input, strengthens legal and institutional frameworks, and ensures meaningful engagement from civil society, law enforcement, and private sector actors—particularly through transparent, worker-driven supply chain practices.

• Despite progress in lawmaking and awareness, implementation remains uneven, especially at the local level, and ongoing efforts must focus on structural reforms, corporate accountability, and addressing the socio-economic and environmental drivers of exploitation.

Chapter 5: Vulnerability to modern slavery & human trafficking: who is affected?

• Understanding and addressing vulnerability is central to preventing modern slavery and human trafficking, as overlapping personal, situational, and contextual risk factors—such as poverty, displacement, discrimination, and weak governance—significantly increase individuals' susceptibility to exploitation.

• The Global Commission’s new Prevention Framework offers a detailed tool for identifying these risk factors and guiding targeted, culturally informed interventions that empower at-risk communities and improve early prevention efforts.

Chapter 6: Effective implementation of international commitments and national legislation

• The world has a handful of international agreements to end slavery and human trafficking, but what's been lacking is effective domestic legislation to ensure the implementation of those international commitments.

• The Global Commission is making four main recommendations for the UN and member states including enacting anti-slavery legislation where there is a lack, revising inadequate legislation, ensuring effective arrangements to enforce legislation, and having the UN assist member states in these by establishing a legal definition of modern slavery & human trafficking and opening a dialogue on the value of strengthening/revitalizing the Palermo Protocol.

Chapter 7: Addressing forced labour in global supply chains

• Forced labor is embedded into supply chains in a variety of countries and industries, and its prevalence has been exacerbated for vulnerable populations—particularly women—by global phenomena like the COVID-19 pandemic, the climate crisis, technological advancement, and more.

• Ending forced labor in supply chains necessitates systemic solutions, including following the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and mandating & embedding human rights due diligence (HRDD) across supply chains in ways that center workers and create transparency across all aspects of the employment process.

  • EC's TransparaTrade initiative is in alignment with these recommendations, building a regenerative economic system that brings every aspect of the supply chain to light and eliminates modern slavery at the source.

Chapter 8: Civil society & crisis contexts

• Crisis situations increase people’s vulnerability to modern slavery and human trafficking, especially crises that exacerbate poverty and/or forcibly displace people.

• The Global Commission recommends the civil society sector focused on crisis response form collaborations around integrating anti-slavery and anti-trafficking efforts into their institutional strategies at various scales, explicitly recognizing the elimination of trafficking and modern slavery as life-saving interventions across the humanitarian system.

Chapter 9: Summary of recommendations & actions required

• This chapter includes a more detailed summary of the initial recommendations the Global Commission proposes through this report. Click the link below and head to page 131 of the report (PDF page 66) to read this summary. 

Read the full report here

Watch a segment of the report launch

As Professor Anita Ramasastry, one of the commissioners, aptly stated at the report launch: "the report is a beginning, not an end." The commission will continue to meet regularly and produce reports over the next five years, leading up to the UN Sustainable Development Goal deadline of ending modern slavery by 2030. Stay tuned for updates on future initiatives and reports from the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.

Thank you for your ongoing support and engagement as Empowerment Collective contributes to this critical global effort to end exploitation, building a world of dignity and freedom for all.