The International Labour Organization (ILO) has issued an alert stating that there has been a significant increase in profits from forced labour, driven by both the growing number of people being forced to work illegally and higher profits. According to ILO senior research officer Federico Blanco, traffickers and criminals are now making close to $10,000 per victim, which is $1,700 more than in 2014. This increase in illegal profits not only affects the workers themselves, but also their families and the flow of migrant remittances, causing disruption in entire communities. The highest profits from forced labour are seen in Europe and Central Asia, followed by Asia and the Pacific, the Americas, Africa, and the Arab States.
Forced sex work is responsible for generating more than two-thirds of these profits, even though it only involves one in four of the total number of people being forced to work illegally. This is because exploiters make an average of $27,000 per year from each illegal sex worker, which is significantly higher than the average $3,600 in profits generated from other forms of forced labour.
Independent human rights experts have called on authorities in Senegal to ensure that political parties, journalists, and human rights defenders can exercise their rights to freedom of association, assembly, and expression during the upcoming election period. These experts have previously expressed concerns about the prosecution and detention of opposition leaders and their supporters. They also welcomed the recent release of over 500 detainees, including opposition leaders Ousmane Sonko and Bassirou Diomaye Diakhar Faye, although they only have a few days left to campaign before the presidential election on March 24, 2024. The experts urged authorities to uphold fundamental freedoms and end restrictions on public freedoms that have been seen in recent years, as well as the unprecedented mass protests that have taken place across the country since March 2021 in response to the arrest and trial of opposition leaders. The experts noted that these restrictions have had a negative impact on the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and peaceful demonstrations by members of the political opposition and civil society.
In Lebanon, the UN Special Coordinator for the country has expressed deep concern over the escalation of fire exchanges across and beyond the Blue Line, the demarcation line between Lebanese and Israeli armed forces. In a closed-door meeting with the Security Council, Joanna Wronecka emphasized the need to restore calm and urged compliance with international humanitarian law to protect civilians. She also highlighted the danger posed by the incomplete implementation of resolution 1701, which called for a full cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, the deployment of Lebanese armed forces in southern Lebanon, and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line and the Litani River. The UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has also marked its 46th anniversary, calling for full demilitarization and a political and diplomatic solution to the conflict. The Head of Mission and Force Commander, Aroldo Lázaro, praised the work of the more than 10,000 military peacekeepers and civilian staff from 49 countries who have been monitoring the situation in south Lebanon and assisting local communities despite the daily exchanges of fire. He also paid tribute to the over 330 mission personnel who have lost their lives while serving in Lebanon.