ABSTRACT
Over the past decade, the problem of modern slavery has moved from being a marginal concern to a mainstream issue, with overall levels of public awareness, official engagement and specialised research all experiencing significant advances in recent times. The primary focal point of this renewed interest in human bondage has been trafficking in persons for the purposes of forced prostitution. Other key problem areas include bonded labour, the worst forms of child labour, “classical” slavery and descent-based discrimination, forced labour for the state, wartime enslavement, and the severe exploitation of migrants and domestic workers. This evolving agenda reflects contributions from human rights groups and international organizations such as Anti-Slavery International and the United Nations; a series of national, regional and global initiatives such as the annual Trafficking in Persons Reports published by the US government since 2001; and a number of high-profile court cases and popular exposés.
