A UN day focused on eradicating contemporary forms of slavery, including human trafficking, forced labor, and child marriage.
Date2 December
TopicHuman Rights & Equality
Established1986
Ways to observe this day
Learn to recognize the signs of human trafficking and exploitation
Support anti-slavery organizations through donations or volunteering
Read and share survivor stories of modern-day slavery
Look into whether products you buy are free from forced labor in their supply chains
The United Nations has marked the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery on December 2 every year since 1986, commemorating the date in 1949 when the General Assembly adopted the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others.
Despite its name, the day is not primarily about historical slavery but about the contemporary forms of servitude that persist today: human trafficking for sexual or labor exploitation, forced labor, the worst forms of child labor, forced marriage, and the recruitment of children into armed conflict. International organizations estimate that millions of people worldwide still live in slavery-like conditions.
Governments and NGOs use the occasion to amplify survivors' voices, review anti-trafficking legislation, and run awareness campaigns targeting groups most vulnerable to exploitation. Many also promote donations to UN trust funds that support survivors of modern slavery and fund victim protection and rehabilitation programs around the world.