Anti-slavery pledge praised, but more efforts are still needed

The decision to include a pledge to eradicate slavery at the heart of a UN global development agenda is a major victory, but there is a long way to go, campaigners against trafficking and slavery said on Monday.

Although slavery is illegal in every country, almost 36 million people are enslaved worldwide, the Walk Free Foundation estimates. They include girls trafficked to brothels, people forced into manual labor and victims of debt bondage.

The 193 United Nations member states approved 17 Sustainable Development Goals on Sunday, a document that will shape development and poverty eradication efforts for the next 15 years, replacing eight Millennium Development Goals.