# About ## The challenge Despite growing advocacy and individual actions against forced labour, significant challenges persist in solving this systemic issue. Forced labour operates across fragmented data systems, where civil society, public sector and private sector entities each collect information often in isolation. Fragmented data ecosystems and insufficient alignment of incentives exacerbate the problem, demanding a coordinated response. ### Silos in data and strategic intelligence Efforts to combat forced labour are undermined by fragmented data ecosystems where legal, technical, and trust barriers prevent effective collaboration among sectors. ### Fragmented efforts Fragmented efforts in mobilizing data-driven collective action across the forced labour data ecosystem - private sector, public sector and civil society. ### Shifting leadership strategies and mindsets Reinforcing the business and stakeholder case for forced labour as a strategic priority through data and insights ## The opportunity Multi-stakeholder collaboration, strategic action and committed leadership across the forced labour data ecosystem will be critical towards solving this issue. In collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise and other partners, the Global Data Partnership Against Forced Labour is an invitation-only World Economic Forum community of leaders committed to driving cross-sectoral and global leadership in the fight against forced labour in supply chains.Through this collective effort, the Global Data Partnership Against Forced Labour aims to turn bold new approaches for leveraging data and accelerating accountability into real progress toward a world free of forced labour. ### Data-driven insights and knowledge products for collective action Identifying strategic pathways for stakeholder, industry, and collective action drawing from enhanced analytics, artificial intelligence and data sharing across sectors. ### Insights workshops and activities Series of expert workshops and cross-sectoral dialogues focusing on opportunities in data sharing across the forced labour data ecosystem, and driving momentum towards reduction targets and goals to eradicate forced labour in supply chains. ### Action dialogues and thought leadership Raising ambition and accountability among global stakeholders, reinforcing the business and stakeholder case for eradicating forced labour as a strategic priority through data and insights. ### The Federated Data Architecture The Global Data Partnership Against Forced Labour is building a trusted, pre-competitive infrastructure for collective action on forced labour. It securely bridges insights from governments, businesses, civil society, and worker-based organisations, without moving or merging underlying data. Through a federated network, participants can generate actionable intelligence on where risks and root causes lie while their own information stays protected. Partners collaborate without surrendering control, safeguarding sovereignty, confidentiality, and the safety of affected communities. The goal is to enable a system of shared insight that strengthens prevention, accountability, and coordinated response.By enabling this federated approach, the Partnership turns existing information into collective intelligence, and collective intelligence into coordinated action.Our federated data infrastructure is a game changer in the global effort to detect and prevent forced labour: ### Federated Architecture Enables queries across sensitive human rights datasets while keeping data in place, producing intelligence without pooling data. Each participation retain control over their own data. ### AI-Powered Insights AI provides the intelligence layer that connects the signals hidden in noise, linking worker complaints, inspection results, recruitment fee records, and migration flow indicators that traditional traceability and isolated datasets cannot align. ### Interoperability & Scalability Reliable insights from corporate, government, and civil society sources reveal early patterns of exploitation and enable faster, more targeted action.Designed to integrate with existing infrastructures and expand across countries, sectors, and systems, with analyses across languages and contexts. ### Privacy-Preserving Technology and Zero Trust Security Ensures sensitive information never leaves its source and is used only for legitimate, rights-based purposes. ## Our Theory of Change Data is a critical part of the solution, but real progress depends on how information is interpreted, shared and acted upon across companies, governments and civil society. The Partnership creates a platform for discovery that helps participants see where insights can strengthen their own efforts, and where shared visibility can unlock collective impact. This makes it possible to build practical impact pathways from insight to outcomes, including better risk targeting, more consistent remediation and stronger worker protection, while supporting more aligned decisions over time. ## Proof of Concept To test the feasibility of this approach, the Partnership is piloting a Proof of Concept (PoC) in Thailand.It connects data from governments, companies, and NGOs to create a unified view of migration, labour inspections, prosecutions, and worker grievances. Each partner keeps control of their own data, sharing only aggregated insights through a secure, privacy-protected analytical system. Its advanced AI analysis uncovers links between recruitment, complaints, and enforcement that were previously invisible. The project is locally led in Thailand, which ensures alignment with national priorities and ethical recruitment standards.Learn more in our upcoming white paper. [Read our white paper](https://www.weforum.org/publications/harnessing-data-and-intelligence-for-collective-advantage-ending-forced-labour-in-global-supply-chains/) ## Part of the Centre for Regions, Trade and Geopolitics Helping stakeholders navigate global and regional priorities in a complex geopolitical and geo-economic landscape. [Discover more](https://centres.weforum.org/centre-for-regions-trade-and-geopolitics/home) ### Learn more Receive the latest updates on the partnership. [Get involved](https://initiatives.weforum.org/api/communities/v1/public/initiatives/site/page-redirect?initiative_id=72f7818d-6ed5-4848-8af4-ecf43c390621&page_id=28d687c3-29f5-4b5a-a6aa-1a54c3dd9d8e)