Students from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) completed a study visit to the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva on 20 March 2026. The visit, part of the ILO–SIPA Capstone collaboration under the Evidence and Data to End Forced Labour (EnD-FL) project, aimed to strengthen evidence on the determinants of forced labour and build practical research skills for future analysts and policymakers. Hosted by the ILO’s FUNDAMENTALS Branch, the programme offered students direct exposure to the ILO’s work on standards, policy advice, data collection, and operational responses related to forced labour.
Over five days of technical sessions, students reviewed preliminary research, validated analytical methods, and examined how crises—including conflict, natural disasters, and public health emergencies—can increase vulnerability, disrupt labour markets, and weaken governance, creating conditions conducive to forced labour. The programme emphasized understanding the legal and statistical definitions of forced labour, analyzing root causes, and applying technical and analytical tools for policy-relevant research.
Students engaged in thematic briefings and research sessions covering international labour standards, human trafficking, measurement of forced labour among adults and children, informality, unfair recruitment of migrant workers, labour provisions in trade agreements, supply chain issues, and the role of labour rights in mitigating forced labour risks. Country-specific discussions, including examples from Nigeria, illustrated practical applications of these frameworks.
During the residency, students presented preliminary findings, received feedback from ILO experts, and refined their analytical frameworks and research assumptions. They gained insight into the complexity of forced labour, which intersects with migration, trafficking, and other human rights challenges. As student Jiawen Li noted, the experience highlighted the ILO’s systematic, multidisciplinary approach to addressing these issues.
The collaboration bridged academic research with technical expertise, helping to generate policy-relevant evidence on structural, economic, and social drivers of forced labour while fostering sustained engagement among emerging professionals. By embedding students within its research and operational work, the ILO aims to develop the next generation of practitioners equipped to translate evidence into action, contributing to the global effort to end forced labour.
