Abstract
Forced labour, in both its traditional and contemporary forms, has long concerned the ILO, and a positive, problem-solving approach to its elimination, combining both technical assistance and promotional means, was instituted with the establishment of the Special Action Programme to Combat Forced Labour, in November 2001. The Programme's activities are outlined here, ranging from awareness raising of the many forms forced labour takes in all cultural contexts, the links between trafficking of persons and modern forms of forced labour, the research programmes and action undertaken in varying contexts, and the particular difficulties of collecting data on forced labour.