According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) report Forced Labour in Brazil in the 21st Century, released today in Brasilia, almost 80% of the targets established in the Brazilian government's National Plan for the Eradication of Bonded Labour in Brazil, launched in 2003, had been achieved by early 2005.

The ILO report states that Brazil has made progress in terms of equipping officials to combat forced labour, and also in making workers aware of their legal rights. There has been an improvement in the monitoring of possible cases of forced labour, and consequently an increase in the number of workers set free.

However, the report also states that Brazil needs to improve its existing legislation in order to ensure that employers who commit abuses do not escape punishment, and that the initiatives aimed at eradicating forced labour are in need of more personnel and greater financial resources.

Source: Agência Brasil and Embassy of Brazil in London