G20 countries including India are fuelling modern slavery, says new report.

• The Global Slavery Index 2023 shows the world’s 20 richest countries account for more than half the estimated 50 million people living in modern slavery.
• The Group of 20 nations are contributing to this increase, as their trade operations and global supply chains allow for human rights abuses.
• Among the G20 nations, India tops the list with 11 million people working as forced labourers, followed by China, Russia, Indonesia, Turkey and the U.S.

The Index

• It is published by the Australia-based human Rights Group Walk Free Foundation.
• It includes data on three key variables –
  1. Prevalence of modern slavery in each country
  2. Vulnerability
  3. Government responses to modern slavery
• Modern slavery refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot leave because of threats, violence, coercion and abuse of power or deception.
• The index uses data released by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Walk Free, and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).