ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour

What ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour does

The ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour (GBNFL) is a global umbrella network operated by the International Labour Organization (ILO), a United Nations specialized agency headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. The network brings together businesses, employer and business membership organizations, industry trade groups, and sectoral associations across all 187 ILO member States with the stated mission of eradicating forced labour in support of Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7. Membership is free for qualifying SMEs (250 employees or less, or USD 25 million revenue or less) and for employer and business membership organizations; large enterprises can also join. The network is governed through the ILO's tripartite structure and a Steering Committee chaired by the Federation of Uganda Employers.

The organization is not a commercial product company but a knowledge-sharing platform and advocacy network. Its portfolio includes an online Due Diligence Toolkit for Fair Recruitment (available in English, French, and Spanish), a multi-series podcast distributed on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and SoundCloud, policy briefs and factsheets synthesizing ILO/Walk Free/IOM statistics, sector-specific resources for fishing and rubber industries, webinars, an SME Awards program co-hosted with the International Organisation of Employers (IOE), and an annual meeting cadence. Distribution is primarily digital via the website (flbusiness.network), podcast platforms, and email newsletters.

The GBNFL does not generate revenue from customers; it is funded through grants and cooperative agreements, principally from the United States Department of Labor (Bridge Project USD 14.4M in 2015; MAP16 USD 22.4M in 2016) and the European Union for projects in Namibia and Malaysia. It operates with a small secretariat and convenes members rather than selling products or services. Strategic partners include Alliance 8.7, IOE, IOM, Walk Free Foundation, Rainforest Alliance, and WWF, supporting a coordinated ecosystem around forced labour research, policy advocacy, and SME capacity building.

Name

ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour

Legal name

ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour

Website

https://flbusiness.network

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour is a free global umbrella network under the UN's International Labour Organization, convening businesses, employer organizations, and trade groups across 187 member States to eradicate forced labour via toolkits, podcasts, webinars, reports, and SME-focused capacity building.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Network / Social Compliance Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies and Executive Search Services (56131)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

United Nations System & Specialized Agencies (BPADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Labor, Social Protection & Occupational Safety Standards Cooperation (BPADANAM), Job Market Intelligence & Employer Networking Services (BPACAOAJ)

Keywords

• Forced labour eradication
• Supply chain due diligence
• Business network membership
• Fair recruitment practices
• Ethical labour compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Membership is free for qualifying businesses (250 employees or less, USD 25 million or less revenue) and employer/business membership organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour is a free global membership network that helps businesses, employer organizations, and business networks address forced labour in their own operations and supply chains. It delivers toolkits, country studies, podcasts, reports, webinars, and training resources, and convenes a peer-learning community of 1,400+ members across 50+ countries.

Product overview

The ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour is a global business umbrella network that connects businesses and their representative organizations to eradicate forced labour. Rather than a single software product, the network provides a portfolio of resources and services including: an online Due Diligence Toolkit for Fair Recruitment (available in English, French, and Spanish) that guides businesses through recruitment due diligence; a Podcast Series covering forced labour topics for different audiences; research reports and factsheets on forced labour statistics and effective practices; sector-specific resources for fishing and rubber industries; policy briefs on SME engagement and business approaches; and a Membership Program offering access to expertise, resources, and peer support. The network operates under the ILO's tripartite structure across 187 member states and is supported by initiatives including the 8.7 Accelerator Lab, GALAB, and the Bridge Project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour membership Free global membership network open to qualifying businesses, employer organizations, and business networks. Members gain access to resources, peer learning, and events to help prevent and address forced labour in their operations and supply chains; free membership is extended to SMEs and small producer organizations.
• Toolkits to Address Forced Labour Toolkits providing practical guidance for businesses to identify, address, and prevent forced labour in their operations and supply chains.
• Business and Human Rights Podcast Podcast series covering business and human rights topics, available on podcast platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
• Fair Recruitment Training (eLearning) Online training (eLearning) module on fair recruitment practices, available to network members through the ILO's fair recruitment initiative.
• Capacity Building Workshops and Webinars Capacity building workshops and webinars on forced labour, supply chain due diligence, and related themes, run for members and the wider community.
• Country Studies and Reports on Forced Labour Country case studies and research reports on forced labour, providing empirical context and examples for businesses operating in different jurisdictions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches businesses in 187 ILO member States
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Alliance 8.7coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal partnership aiming to eradicate modern slavery by 2030 (SDG Target 8.7). Jointly hosts webinars and online discussions on SME engagement in forced labour eradication. Pathfinder Countries accelerate action at national level.
• 8.7 Accelerator LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILO initiative under the Accelerator Labs network aimed at accelerating replication of promising practices and identifying new solutions to end forced labour and child labour globally.
• GALAB (Global Accelerator Lab Project)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal Accelerator Lab Project contributing to the 8.7 Accelerator Labs initiative for innovative solutions to forced labour.
• Entr'AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative realising the objectives of Alliance 8.7 through coordinated action among partners.
• Bridge ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrom Protocol to Practice: A Bridge to Global Action on Forced Labour. Funded by USD 14,395,138 from United States Department of Labor. Supports businesses in implementing ILO protocols on forced labour.
• FAIR III (Integrated Programme on Fair Recruitment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated Programme on Fair Recruitment working to prevent forced labour through fair recruitment practices, particularly for migrant workers.
• International Organisation of Employers (IOE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal employer organization network. Co-hosts SME awards program and digital conferences with ILO GBNFL. IOE membership list used to connect SMEs with employer organizations.
• Rainforest AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in podcast episode on climate change and forced labour. Expert interview on how climate change increases vulnerability to child and forced labour.
• World Wildlife Fund (WWF)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFeatured in podcast on environmental degradation and forced labour in fishing sector. Expert interview on linkages between environmental crime and labour abuses.
• Walk Free FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publisher of Global Estimates on Modern Slavery with ILO and IOM. Collaborates on statistics and research on forced labour and forced marriage.
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-publisher of Global Estimates on Modern Slavery. Partner on migrant worker issues, with migrant workers being 3x more at risk of forced labour.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Walk Free Foundation: Australia-based advocacy organisation co-producing the Global Estimates on Modern Slavery with the ILO. Comparable mission and research output, but no business-membership network component.
• Verité: Research and advocacy non-profit focused on forced labour in global supply chains. Overlaps with GBNFL on research and toolkits for companies, but lacks the explicit ILO affiliation and global business membership model.

Others

• KnowTheChain: Resource platform benchmarking corporate efforts to address forced labour in supply chains. Complementary rather than competitive; potential referral partner or content distributor for GBNFL.
• Alliance 8.7: Global partnership hosted by the ILO aiming to end child labour, forced labour, and modern slavery by 2030 (SDG 8.7). Closely linked strategic partner of GBNFL — essentially an overlapping constituency rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• Fair Labor Association: Multi-stakeholder non-profit that convenes companies, universities, and NGOs to improve working conditions and eradicate forced labour in supply chains. Closely comparable mission, member model, and tripartite-style governance to GBNFL.
• amfori: Global business association running the amfori BSCI programme for social compliance in supply chains. Directly comparable as a GBNFL member offering practical due-diligence tools to businesses and a member of the GBNFL network.
• Responsible Business Alliance: Industry coalition of electronics, retail, and manufacturing companies working on supply chain responsibility including forced labour prevention. Comparable as a multi-stakeholder business network addressing the same root issues.
• Global Business Coalition Against Human Trafficking (GBCAT): Coalition of companies, governments, and NGOs working to end human trafficking and forced labour in operations and supply chains. GBNFL member and the most direct peer in mission and member-composition terms.

Broad incumbents

• EcoVadis: Global sustainability ratings provider whose scorecards explicitly include forced labour indicators. Operates at much larger scale as a commercial ratings platform, addressing overlapping buyer/supplier compliance needs.
• Sedex: Large, established tech platform for supply chain ethical data, used by 75,000+ buyers and suppliers. Competes for the same SME/corporate attention on labour compliance, but as a SaaS incumbent rather than a non-profit advocacy network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iloflnetwork
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/showcase/ilo-global-business-network-on-forced-labour

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ILO Global Business Network on Forced Labour