Int’l Day for the Abolition of Slavery being observed 

International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is being observed on Friday (December 2), raising awareness about their plight and eliminate contemporary forms of slavery.

This year, the theme for the day is "Stories of Courage: Resistance to Slavery and Unity against Racism".

The day is observed to raise awareness and calls for actions for eradicating slavery such as human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and child labour. 

The day marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others (resolution 317(IV) of 2 December 1949).  

Millions of people are still trapped in contemporary forms of slavery such as forced marriage, trafficking, sexual exploitation and so on.   

The world has made major progress in curbing slavery and its forms, but still, there are several people who are victims of it.

As per official data, over 40 million people across the globe are victims of modern slavery and over 150 million children are victims of child labour. 

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) in November 2016 adopted a new legally binding Protocol designed to strengthen worldwide efforts of eliminating forced labour.