The legal community and governments must strengthen their efforts to eradicate modern slavery, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute has urged.
The organization said that despite the international legal framework prohibiting slavery, about 50 million people remain trapped in forced labor, debt bondage, and human trafficking.
In a statement on Anti-Slavery Day 2025, observed annually on 18 October across Europe, IBAHRI decried the continuance of the violations, often hidden within complex global trade networks.
IBAHRI Co-Chair Mark Stephens noted that ending modern slavery demands political courage, corporate accountability, and the unwavering enforcement of human rights standards.
“Lawyers have a unique responsibility to expose abuses, defend the vulnerable, and uphold the rule of law,” he said.
“Every act of advocacy brings us closer to ending this profound injustice,” he added.
“Modern slavery is not a relic of the past,” according to IBAHRI Director Baroness Helena Kennedy. “It is a global human rights crisis that continues to destroy lives and erode human dignity.”
The UK House of Lords member urged lawyers, judges, and legal institutions to champion accountability and ensure that states and corporations meet their obligations under international law.
The body added that effective anti-slavery measures must comprise stronger enforcement of labor and human rights laws and access to justice and remedies for victims.
Others include corporate due diligence to prevent exploitation in global supply chains and greater international cooperation to prosecute traffickers and dismantle criminal networks.
