Article IV of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution are unequivocal in their declaration that there is no place in the modern world for slavery in all of its manifestations. But of what relevance are these human rights instruments to the modern practitioner or academic? Are they simply reminders of something that once existed but are no more, or are they ongoing guarantees of rights that too often go unused, even by those who work for human rights? What is modern slavery and why should we fight it? Why should we fight about it?