[JURIST] The International Labor Organization [official website] said Wednesday that some 12.3 million people worldwide are enslaved. The figure was publicized in a new ILO study [PDF text; ILO press release] of forced labor and modern slavery across the globe. The study says 2.4 million people, mostly women and children, have been forced into trafficking, generating a profit of over $30B. This practice is most prevalent in conflict zones, where children {AFP report] are forced into the sex trade or abducted to become soldiers. The report proposes better laws and stronger law enforcement, and encourages countries to work locally in the poorest regions to get to the base of the privately-exacted forced labor. BBC News has more.