The year in review – 2014
Issues of increasing concern Statelessness
Children in conflict
Slavery and forced labour
BASELINE: A total of 3.5 million people are under UNHCR’s statelessness mandate, but estimates indicate there are at least 10 million stateless people. Statelessness affects people in Asia and the Pacific more than the other regions. A total of 97.6 per cent of the number of reported stateless persons are found in 20 countries.
BASELINE: In 2014, an estimated 230 million children lived in areas affected by armed conflicts. Nearly 15 million children were caught up in violent conflict in CAR, Iraq, Palestine, South Sudan, Syria and Ukraine.
BASELINE: Modern slavery comprises human trafficking, slavery/slavery-like practices (debt bondage, forced /servile marriage, sale/exploitation of children, descent-based slavery) and forced labour. An estimated 35.8 million men, women and children are in modern slavery globally. Sixty-one per cent of people are in five countries in Asia and Europe. Worldwide, approximately 14 per cent of girls aged between 5 and 14 are engaged in child labour, the majority unpaid.
3.5 million
PROJECTION: Children face tremendous challenges in conflict: hundreds are kidnapped going to/coming from school, tens of thousands are recruited or used by armed groups, and attacks on education and health facilities are increasing in many conflict areas.
35.8 million
UNHCR statelessness mandate
people in modern slavery
Human trafficking 10 million Estimated stateless people
97.6% found in 20 countries
PROJECTION: Statelessness destroys a person’s political identity, leaving him/her more vulnerable to human rights violations. Statelessness can facilitate forced removal from a country. Statelessness may continue due to racial, ethnic or religious discrimination.
BASELINE: More than 90 per cent of countries have legislation criminalizing human trafficking. It is estimated that women account for 55 to 60 per cent of all trafficking victims detected globally. Women and girls together account for some 75 per cent, 27 per cent of victims are children.
61%
Of all traffick victims detected globally
55-60% Women
75%
Women and girls
27%
Children
PROJECTION: Despite legislative process to criminalize trafficking, there are few convictions for human trafficking.
in 5 countries
PROJECTION: The number of children recruited for child labour is decreasing, but the proportion of children in domestic work is increasing. Most countries provide some training to front-line law enforcement on how to identify victims of modern slavery, but victim assistance continues to be weak.
Sources: CRED, DESA, FAO, Global Slavery Index 2014, ILO, IOM, ITU, Millennium Development Goals Progress Report, NRC, Oxfam, UNHCR, UNISDR, UNDP, UNESCO, UNODC, UN Women, USAID, WHO, World Bank
22
Increasing concern