Harnessing Data and Intelligence for Collective Advantage 2026

1 According to the most recent International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates, almost 28 million people are subjected to forced labour worldwide, across both formal and informal sectors.3 Despite decades of progress in policy, advances in local action, corporate due diligence and civil society advocacy, overall prevalence has not declined but has in fact increased, pointing to a deeper, system-level weakness in detecting, preventing and addressing forced labour. It persists not because its causes are unknown, but because the data, accountability and coordinated action remain disjointed.4 1.1 Persistence amid progress: The enduring nature of forced labourThe problem: The vicious cycle of forced labour and data fragmentation Even as global efforts expand, forced labour persists amid fragmented data, misaligned incentives and disconnected systems of accountability. Understanding forced labour BOX 1 The ILO Forced Labour Convention, 1930 (No. 29) defines forced labour as “all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the person has not offered himself or herself voluntarily”.5 It is a severe form of labour exploitation that can occur in any sector, country or supply chain, from manufacturing and agriculture to construction, domestic work and the informal economy. Forced labour depends on two core elements: (1) a credible threat or actual penalty (which may include violence, withholding identity documents, retaining wages, charging or indebting workers through recruitment fees, threats of deportation or dismissal, or debt bondage); and (2) work performed without the person’s free and informed consent, including where they cannot leave the job when they wish.6 The term “modern slavery” is broader.7 It includes forced labour but also encompasses human trafficking and practices resembling slavery, such as forced marriage or the sale of children. According to ILO estimates from 2022, nearly 28 million people are trapped in forced labour worldwide, including about 17 million in private- sector supply chains.8 This represents an increase of around 2.7 million since 2016, underscoring the need to address root causes, close data visibility spots and to strengthen victim protection.9 Over the past two decades, companies, governments, international organizations and civil society groups have launched hundreds of programmes to tackle forced labour. Social audits, worker hotlines, traceability tools, social compliance programmes and national enforcement of labour laws have each acted as important mechanisms in the fight against forced labour.10 Governments have complemented these efforts through trade measures, import bans, country ratings and research, all of which strengthen regulatory and market accountability. In the private sector, due- diligence systems, ethical recruitment initiatives and responsible sourcing programmes have matured rapidly among a growing number of companies; however, too many companies still do not meaningfully investigate forced labour prevalence in their supply chains. At the same time, modern slavery and supply chain laws in the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada, import restrictions in the US and European Union Harnessing Data and Intelligence for Collective Advantage: Ending Forced Labour in Global Supply Chains 5