A/HRC/9/20 page 7 debt bondage there now exist more contemporary forms of forced labour such as migrant workers who have been trafficked for economic exploitation of every kind in the world economy: work in domestic servitude, the construction industry, the food and garment industry, the agricultural sector and in forced prostitution. 13. Forced labour, a human rights violation, is also recognized as an international criminal offence, irrespective of whether a Government has ratified the relevant conventions prohibiting it. Furthermore, where forced labour is used, a range of associated human rights abuses frequently take place, including rape, torture and murder.6 14. Recent data presented by ILO shows that the estimated minimum number of persons involved in the world of illicit forced labour is 12.3 million. In relation to the total world labour force the minimum estimate corresponds to about 4 persons in forced labour per 1,000 workers.7 15. ILO also states that global minimum estimates of forced labour in its main forms show that 64 per cent of forced labour is for economic exploitation by private economic agents. ILO shows that a further 11 per cent are in forced labour for commercial sexual exploitation and 3 per cent are in mixed undetermined forms of forced labour. In total, 80 per cent of victims of forced labour are enslaved by private economic agents and 20 per cent of victims of forced labour are imposed by States or the military. Analysis conducted by ILO of trends in forced labour demonstrates two important themes: that forced labour is present in all regions of the world and that most contemporary forms of forced labour are extracted by private agents.8 16. In spite of the tremendous work done by international organizations, NGOs and academia to raise awareness and develop comprehensive knowledge on contemporary forms of slavery-like practices such as forced labour, much more work needs to be done in order to raise awareness and end these practices. 17. In performing her functions, the Special Rapporteur will build on existing work and devote special attention to the issues of forced labour, its causes and consequences. According to ILO estimates, women and girls represent 56 per cent of victims of forced economic exploitation; men and boys represent 44 per cent.9 The Special Rapporteur will also look at the impact that forced labour has on gender disparities. 6 See David Weissbrodt and Anti-Slavery International, Abolishing Slavery and its Contemporary Forms, 2002 (HR/PUB/02/4). 7 See International Labour Organization, ILO minimum estimate of forced labour in the world, by Patrick Belser, Michaelle de Cock and Farhad Mehran, 2005. 8 9 Ibid. International Labour Conference, ninety-third session, 2005, Geneva, A Global Alliance against forced labour, Report 1B, in the International Labour Office.