Modern slavery: Government funding for enforcement is key to prevention

2026-06-15 · Source: Thomson Reuters Institute · Field: Legal & Regulatory — Compliance & Risk Management, Regulatory Affairs & Government Relations · Depth: Intermediate, short

Summary

The Modern Slavery Prevention Index (MSPI), a new tool by Praeveni Global's Duncan Jepson, reveals a significant global gap between government national action plans to combat modern slavery and the funding allocated for their execution. Governments across the G20 and other nations collectively spend approximately \$1.6 billion annually on prevention, equating to roughly \$1 per year per estimated 2 billion vulnerable people. This underinvestment renders comprehensive plans functionally undeliverable, often serving as political products rather than strategic ones. The analysis also highlights a near-total absence of corporate accountability for forced labor in non-financial industries, with only one investigation ever brought against a Fortune 500 company. Despite this, platforms like Uganda's TipMap, built on a budget of hundreds of thousands of dollars, demonstrate that transparent prosecution tracking is achievable, even for low-income countries.

Key takeaway

For policy makers developing anti-slavery strategies, recognize that comprehensive national action plans are ineffective without commensurate financial investment. You must align your stated ambitions with realistic resource allocation, moving beyond political products to strategic, funded initiatives. Prioritize establishing criminal legal frameworks for corporate accountability in non-financial sectors and explore cost-effective, transparent data platforms like Uganda's TipMap to track prosecutions and arrests.

Key insights

Unfunded national action plans and limited corporate accountability severely hinder global efforts to combat modern slavery.

Principles

• Plans without funding are political theater.
• Corporate forced labor lacks criminal accountability.
• Transparency platforms are achievable on low budgets.

Method

The Modern Slavery Prevention Index (MSPI) evaluates governments across four dimensions: exploitation context, plan comprehensiveness, allocated funding, and measurable outcomes.

In practice

• Replicate Uganda's TipMap for prosecution tracking.
• Align national plans with realistic investment levels.
• Strengthen criminal legal frameworks for non-financial industries.

Topics

• Modern Slavery Prevention
• Government Funding
• Corporate Accountability
• Forced Labor
• Supply Chain Enforcement
• National Action Plans

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Thomson Reuters Institute.