Confronting and Eradicating Forced Labour at the United States Capitol

Washington, DC, USA (ILO News) - On September 18th, the ILO—in collaboration with Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA)—held a congressional briefing on confronting and eradicating forced labour at the United States Capitol Hill.

The event underscored the ILO's leadership on forced labour and highlighted the urgency for action, especially through the release of the ILO's discussion paper titled "Acting Against Forced Labour: An Assessment of Investment Requirements and Economic Benefits."

Sherman and Representative Linda Sanchez (D-CA) delivered opening remarks.

Sherman—who is a senior Democrat on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs —cited ILO date: "28 million people are trapped in forced labour including 3 million children, forced labour is a big business unfortunately, as it generates over 236 billion dollars in revenue." He emphasized the strong partnership between the United States and ILO, reaffirming his support and the Congress' commitment to eradicating forced labour and supporting labour rights worldwide.

Sherman also shared his personal connection to the ILO; his grandfather, Louis Q. Moss, worked for the organization from 1946 to 1948 in Geneva, Rio de Janeiro, and Karachi.

Sanchez—who sits on the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Trade— highlighted the importance of investing globally in worker-centric policies. In her words, the mutual benefit of eradicating forced labour as ensuring workers’ rights are respected enhances economic competitiveness around the world. "In order to level the playing field, our trade deals have to create and fund enforcement of fair working conditions for workers in other countries. American workers can’t compete with workers in other countries who are paid subsistence wages ... or able to create products that are less expensive because the labour cost is not a factor in the ultimate retail cost.”

Eric Gottwald—Policy Specialist on Trade and Economic Globalization for the AFL-CIO—added insightful comments on the role of labour organizations and collective action in advancing international labour standards. Philippe Vanhuynegem and Alix Nasri—ILO specialists on forced labour—provided informed expert insights on trends and data, the prevalence of forced labour in the fishing industry, and an overview of the different forms of forced labour that are rampant across the world. Additionally, Tanya Hutchins—a representative of the labour union SAG-AFTRA—moderated the panel and expressed the union's firm support of efforts to eradicate forced labour.

Following the briefing, the ILO held a reception where Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Representative Donald Norcross (D-NJ) delivered opening remarks. 

McGovern—who is the co-chair of Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission—emphasized how forced labour is not merely an economic or partisan issue, it is a moral crisis and a matter of human rights. He adds, "It robs people of their freedom, their dignity, and their hope. Men, women, and children are subjected to unimaginable conditions, coerced into work through threats, violence, and deception." He called for advocating "for policies that protect the vulnerable, hold perpetrators accountable, and support those who have been victims".

Norcross—who serves on the House Education and Workforce Committee—noted the spillover effects of forced labour across labour markets worldwide. "People being forced from wherever they are to go to work so somebody else can make a profit, and that product or service then goes to other countries where it impacts the labour of that country, lowering the standards across the board." He also notably mentioned the history of slavery in the United States stating, "in this country, we have learned from our history, our dark history, what that was like...it forced us into a civil war. Those who wanted to continue that slavery for economic well-being and in many ways that is being fought out around the world."