Common Definitions

It should be noted that many forms of trafficking and slavery can involve more than one element listed below.

Human trafficking - involves a situation of exploitation through the use of violence, deception or coercion. The purpose of exploitation can range from forced prostitution and forced labor to forced marriage and forced organ removal.

Forced labor - any work or services which people are forced to do against their will under the threat of some form punishment.

Debt bondage - the world’s most widespread form of slavery, when people borrow some money and are required to work to pay off the debt, then losing control over the conditions of both their employment and the debt.

Descent-based slavery – where people are born into slavery due to belonging to a 'slave class', caste or a group. A child of a mother in slavery is automatically enslaved too.

Child slavery – defined as the delivery of a child by its parents or a guardian to someone else for the

purpose of exploitation. Child slavery can include child trafficking, child soldiers, child marriage and child domestic slavery.

Forced marriage – when someone is married against their will and cannot leave the marriage. Most child marriages can be considered slavery.

Migrant slavery – the exploitation of migrant workers in conditions amounting to slavery.