VICTIMS OF FORCED LABOUR LOSE OVER $20 BILLION PER YEAR IN EARNINGS, FINDS UN STUDY

VICTIMS OF FORCED LABOUR LOSE OVER $20 BILLION PER YEAR IN EARNINGS, FINDS UN STUDY
New York, May 12 2009 1:00PM
Victims of forced labour lose an estimated $20 billion ever year in unpaid earnings, according to a new report by the United Nations labour agency, which calls for increased action to eradicate the scourge.

The report by the International Labour Organization (<"http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Media_and_public_information/Press_releases/lang--en/WCMS_106219/index.htm">ILO), entitled "The Cost of Coercion," also details the growing number of unethical, fraudulent and criminal practices that can lead people into situations of forced labour, and charts progress in tackling the crime.

"Forced labour is the antithesis of decent work," said ILO Director-General Juan Somavia. "It causes untold human suffering and steals from its victims. Modern forced labour can be eradicated, providing there is a sustained commitment by the international community, working together with government, employers, workers and civil society."

The report estimates that the "opportunity cost" of coercion to the workers affected by these abusive practices, in terms of lost earnings, now reaches over $20 billion. "This presents a powerful economic argument, as well as a moral imperative, as to why governments must now accord higher priority to these concerns," the agency stated in a news release.

Based on a 2005 ILO study, at least 12.3 million people worldwide were in some form of forced labour or bondage, of which 8.1 million were exploited by private agents, outside the sex industry.

"Our main concern is with the human cost of coercion, both to the victims and their families in terms of the untold misery they endure through forced labour, and to society at large," said Roger Plant, head of ILO's Special Action Programme to combat Forced Labour.

"In the midst of a global economic and financial crisis, in which there is a real risk that the poorest and most vulnerable will bear most of the cost, we want to draw public attention to a less publicized but equally serious crisis on labour markets," he stated.

The current report shows a mixed picture of global efforts to combat forced labour. While most countries have introduced legislation that deals with forced labour as a criminal offence and the issue itself is no longer hidden or taboo, others are finding it difficult to identify cases of abuse, let alone define the adequate policy responses.

"We must never forget that forced labour is a serious criminal offence that requires criminal punishment" said Mr. Plant.

"But we must also remember that forced labour is often poorly defined in national legislation, making it difficult to address the multiple subtle ways in which workers can be denied their freedom. The challenge is to address these problems in an integrated way, through prevention and law enforcement, using both labour and criminal justice."
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TERRORISM, DRUGS AND CRIME THWARTING AFGHAN DEVELOPMENT, WARNS BAN

Terrorism, illicit drug trafficking and organized crime are seriously impeding progress in Afghanistan, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned today, calling for greater international cooperation to help the country tackle these challenges.

"They are obstacles to development," Mr. Ban said in an address to the Special Conference on Afghanistan, convened in Moscow under the aegis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

"They bring violence into people's daily lives. They undermine justice and human rights. They are a grave threat to public health, to governance and a democratic future.

"These interconnected ills are sapping public confidence in the institutions that so many people have worked so hard to reinforce," the Secretary-General told the meeting, attended by representatives from Russia, the Central Asian countries, Iran, Pakistan, China, India and many regional organizations.

Mr. Ban stressed that Afghanistan cannot face these challenges alone, and that all countries have an interest in countering them with "sustained and robust" action.

"The problems harm not only the Afghan people," he noted. "They pose a major danger to the region and the world at large. And all of us must be involved in helping to solve them."

In the area of illicit drug trafficking for example, he emphasized the shared responsibility in reducing demand abroad, reducing supply in Afghanistan, and tightening security along trafficking routes. "Cooperation must be our watchword as we respond," he said.

The Secretary-General also noted that the country's security situation is at a "delicate juncture," and while conditions have deteriorated in recent months, indications of "new thinking and new commitment" from Afghanistan's international partners are reasons for cautious optimism.

Current political, security and development issues in the country will also be discussed at the International Conference on Afghanistan to be held in The Hague on 31 March. The meeting, which will be opened by Mr. Ban, follows similar events held previously in Bonn, London and Paris.

During a meeting today with Afghan Foreign Minister Dadfar Spanta, Mr. Ban said that today's meeting and next week's conference showed how strongly the international community was committed to Afghanistan. He added that he hoped the Afghan Government would seize this opportunity and move forward on stability, security and social and economic development.

The Secretary-General stressed that it was important for Afghanistan to maintain improved relations with neighbouring countries, especially Pakistan. The two also touched on the drug situation in Afghanistan and the need for transparent, democratic and fair elections later this year.

In his meeting with Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the Secretary-General said he was horrified by today's bombing at a mosque in north-west Pakistan, and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.

He noted that Pakistan has a crucial role to play in the Afghan peace process. A military solution is not enough in Afghanistan; a political and economic surge, and a comprehensive approach were needed, he said. He also thanked Pakistan for its contribution to UN peacekeeping.

Mr. Ban also met today with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, and they discussed ways of further strengthening relations between the UN and Russia. They also talked about a range of international issues where Russia can play a leadership role, including Somalia, Sudan, climate change and the financial crisis.

Yesterday evening, he participated in a working dinner with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that focused mainly on Afghanistan, but also included discussion on, among other topics, Gaza, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Kosovo, Georgia/Abkhazia, climate change and nuclear disarmament.

While in Moscow, the Secretary-General also delivered a wide-ranging lecture at an event organized by "International Affairs," the journal of the Russian Foreign Ministry, in which he highlighted the need for a "new global solidarity" at this time of global crisis.

Issues such as the global financial crisis, climate change and nuclear proliferation, are "big challenges, requiring big powers to cooperate more than ever before," he stated.
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GLOBAL CRISES, ENERGY, AFGHANISTAN TOP AGENDA AT UN-ORGANIZED CENTRAL ASIA FORUM

GLOBAL CRISES, ENERGY, AFGHANISTAN TOP AGENDA AT UN-ORGANIZED CENTRAL ASIA FORUM
New York, Mar 13 2009 7:01PM

The impact of the global financial crisis, problems concerning water and energy supplies and developments in Afghanistan were high on the agenda at a United Nations-organized seminar that brought Central Asian nations together to address current challenges.

The meeting was organized by the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), established in 2007 to help the countries of the region – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – respond more proactively to cross-border challenges and threats, such as terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crime and environmental degradation, before they become costlier and more difficult to control.

The two-day meeting, which began on 10 March, brought together government officials, experts and academics, among others, to the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, for what a senior UN official called a "necessary and timely" gathering amid important developments in the world and in the region.

"The participants acknowledged that an individual approach is not a viable solution, that it is important to find shared solutions," Miroslav Jenca, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of UNRCCA, told the UN News Centre.

The need to work together in facing challenges was especially underscored in the context of dealing with the ongoing economic and financial crisis. Mr. Jenca noted that some countries might be tempted to find solutions taking into account their national interests only, and not considering the interests of the whole region.

Participants at the meeting, which also included representatives from Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Germany, Iran, Turkey, Russia, France, Slovakia and the United States, recognized this as a "dangerous tendency," he said, and they agreed that regional cooperation was vital in order to find viable solutions.

The impact of the global economic downturn has been felt in the region, especially in countries such as Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan that are more integrated in the global economy, Mr. Jenca pointed out, while adding that "none of the countries in the region are immune against the crisis."

The effects have included the devaluation of national currencies and a curtailing of projects due to lack of funding. The downturn has also affected labour migration, with migrants being unable to find enough jobs in other countries, or if they can find jobs, they are being paid less, all of which lead to a decrease in remittances, he said.

In addition, problems related to water management and energy supplies are a major challenge for the region, which as a whole has enough water and enough energy. "The problem is how to find agreement among the five countries in order to use these resources for the benefit of all countries in the region," stated Mr. Jenca, who took up his post last June.

The Regional Centre is particularly active in the area of water and energy, which is one of its priority areas. At the same time, the Special Representative noted that the UN's role is to assist countries, not replace governments.

"The role of the leadership of the countries is extremely important in order to ensure sustainable development, and they bear primary responsibility for socio-economic development and also for addressing the crisis," he stated.
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