GENEVA, March 31, 2025 — The Facts and Norms Institute and the UFMG Law School’s Slave Labor and Human Trafficking Clinic have submitted detailed written input to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery.
Authored by Professors Henrique Napoleão Alves and LÃvia Mendes Moreira Miraglia along with a team of researchers, the report responds to the Special Rapporteur's call for inputs ahead of the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in September 2025.
Key findings include:
Comprehensive Legal & Policy Framework. Brazil has established a robust framework grounded in the post-dictatorship "Doctrine of Integral Protection," enshrined in the 1988 Constitution and the Statute of the Child and Adolescent (ECA). This includes clear age limits, a ban on hazardous work (aligned with ILO Conventions), and a detailed national list (TIP List) defining the worst forms of child labor.
Multi-Stakeholder Response & Enforcement. A complex network combats child labor, involving government bodies like the Ministry of Labor (MTE) for inspections and the "Dirty List," the specialized GEFM for slave labor rescues, social support programs (Bolsa FamÃlia, PETI), the Public Prosecutor's Office (MPT), and specialized Labor Courts. National commissions (CONAETI, CONATRAE, CONANDA) coordinate policy and victim assistance efforts.
Non-State Actors. Civil society organizations (CSOs), multi-stakeholder forums (like FNPETI), corporate responsibility initiatives (such as InPACTO), and trade unions play vital roles in advocacy, monitoring, awareness-raising, promoting supply chain responsibility, and providing direct support.
Prevalence Trends & Persistent Disparities. While recent data (2023) shows a significant and encouraging decline in child labor to its lowest recorded level (1.6 million), the absolute number remains alarmingly high. Deep disparities persist, with higher rates concentrated in the North/Northeast regions and disproportionately affecting children living in poverty and extreme poverty and poor black and Indigenous children.
Worst Forms & Long-Term Impact. Brazil continues to grapple with the most severe forms, including commercial sexual exploitation (sometimes linked to trafficking), forced labor (in agriculture, domestic work), hazardous tasks across sectors, and exploitation by criminal groups for illicit activities (like drug trafficking). This exploitation is identified as a fundamental human rights violation, often starting in early childhood and inflicting devastating, life-long physical, psychological, and social harm. Enforcement actions in 2024 rescued a significant number of children, predominantly from these worst forms.
Enduring Challenges. Despite progress, major obstacles hinder eradication by the 2025 target. Pervasive poverty remains the primary driver, intertwined with educational barriers, family dysfunction, and deep-seated regional and racial inequalities. Cultural normalization of child labor, insufficient enforcement capacity, and critical data gaps (especially regarding criminal prosecution and trafficking) pose significant challenges requiring a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy.
"Poverty stands out as the most significant factor pushing children into work. This reinforces a vicious cycle where child labor, by limiting education and skill acquisition, perpetuates poverty into adulthood and future generations."
"Unhealthy family environments characterized by violence, substance abuse, and neglect also significantly contribute to child labor."
"Certain manifestations of child labor, including domestic work, online exploitation, and particularly the dangerous involvement in drug trafficking (with its specific recruitment tactics, high risks, and exploitation), remain insufficiently addressed and researched."
Why It Matters
The report will help shape the Special Rapporteur’s final recommendations to the Human Rights Council, potentially influencing global strategies for tackling child labor.
The Special Rapporteur is expected to review all submissions and present a consolidated report at the Human Rights Council’s upcoming session in Geneva.
The Facts and Norms Institute & the UFMG Clinic
The Facts and Norms Institute is an independent academic institution based in the Global South. The Institute's mission is to promote education, justice, human rights, and the pursuit of peace. The Institute has extensive experience collaborating with international bodies, including the United Nations and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, through Amicus Curiae submissions and research projects on various human rights issues.
The UFMG Slave Labor and Human Trafficking Clinic is a project from the Federal University of Minas Gerais’s School of Law. The Clinic is part of Clinnect HTS, an international network of clinics which are dedicated to the study of, and the struggle against, human trafficking and slave labor.
To read the full submission, click here: