ALBAWABA – The modern slavery index, issued by Australia-based international human rights organisation Walk Free, ranked North Korea first, as the country where modern-day slavery is most prevalent in the world, as per the Global Slavery Index 2023.
Switzerland came in the 160th place on the index, as the country where modern-day slavery is least prevalent in the world.
Nine out of the 10 lowest ranks, where slavery is least prevalent, are European countries, with Norway and Germany coming in second and third.
Meanwhile, five out of the top 10 ranks, where modern slavery is most prevalent are Arab countries, with Eritrea and Mauritania ranking second and third.
The index measures the prevalence of modern slavery in a country following a three-part methodology.
First, the index measures the prevalence of forced and child marriages in a country, as well as the prevalence of forced labour, both privately and state-enforced.
This includes forced labour exploitation and forced commercial sexual exploitation.
Then, second, the index measures the vulnerability of the people in a country. The vulnerability model maps 23 risk variables across five major dimensions: governance issues, lack of basic needs, inequality, disenfranchised groups, and effects of conflict.
In the third part of the methodology, the index assesses government response and policies in pertinence to the issues measures in parts one and two.
Walk Free works towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, which seeks to end modern slavery by mobilising the international community.
