TRACIT report: The Human Cost of Illicit Trade: Exposing demand for forced labor in the dark corners of the economy

TRACIT report: The Human Cost of Illicit Trade: Exposing demand for forced labor in the dark corners of the economy

Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade launched a new report, The Human Cost of Illicit Trade: Exposing demand for forced labor in the dark corners of the economy. The organization known for fighting illicit trade in markets worldwide, presented the findings during a webinar exploring the wider societal costs of illicit trade, looking at the connection between illicit trade and forced labor, child labor and human trafficking.

The report looks at eight illicit sectors and how forced labor plays a role in them. These sectors are: (i) counterfeiting of apparel, footwear and luxury goods; (ii) counterfeiting of electronics machinery and equipment; (iii) substandard and falsified medical products; (iv) illegal mining; (v) illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing; (vi) illicit tobacco products; (vii) illegal pesticides; and (viii) illegal timber.

The report calls on Governments to:

  • Address the impact that illicit economic activities have on the demand for forced labor by accounting for the interconnected nature of forced labor and illicit trade and ensuring that laws and regulations generally pertaining to preventing forced labor will specifically investigate and enforce against occurrences in illicit economic activity.
  • Gather more and better data on the incidence of forced labor in illicit operations to improve the evidence-base for national and international policy-making and standard setting. This includes strengthening investigative techniques to address human rights abuses in illicit trade and dismantle the organized criminal networks behind illicit trade.
  • Implement standing measures to stop illicit trade, thereby removing any associated demand for forced labor.

The report, media materials and the recording of the webinar are available at https://www.tracit.org/human-cost-of-illicit-trade.html. Any questions on the report should be directed to Dr. Ulrika Bonnier ([email protected]).

About TRACIT

​The Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade (TRACIT)  is an independent, private sector initiative to drive change to mitigate the economic and social damages of illicit trade by strengthening government enforcement mechanisms and mobilizing businesses across industry sectors most impacted by illicit trade. TRACIT draws from industry strengths and market experience to build habits of cooperation between business, government and the diverse group of countries that have limited capacities for regulatory enforcement. Connecting and mobilizing businesses across industries, sectors and national borders makes it possible to achieve results more effectively than any single actor can accomplish alone. ​

Attachments

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