Modern slavery occurs in almost every country in the world. 2nd December marks the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery and emphasises the importance of working towards eradicating all forms of contemporary slavery. This includes human trafficking, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, 2 December, marks the date of the adoption, by the General Assembly, of the United Nations Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others.
The Human Rights Initiatives Unit will be participating in remembering this day to shine light on the eradication of contemporary forms of slavery, such as trafficking in persons, sexual exploitation, the worst forms of child labour, forced marriage, and the forced recruitment of children for use in armed conflict.
Slavery has evolved and manifested itself in different ways throughout history. Today some traditional forms of slavery still persist in their earlier forms, while others have been transformed into new ones. The UN human rights bodies have documented the persistence of old forms of slavery that are embedded in traditional beliefs and customs. These forms of slavery are the result of long-standing discrimination against the most vulnerable groups in societies, such as those regarded as being of low caste, tribal minorities, and indigenous peoples.
To combat Modern Slavery the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has adopted a legally binding Protocol designed to strengthen global efforts to eliminate forced labour, which entered into force in November 2016.
The Forced Labour Protocol is a legally binding treaty that requires governments to take new measures to tackle forced labour in all its forms. It works on three main levels: preventing forced labour, protecting victims, and ensuring they have access to justice and compensation. Malta ratified this protocol on the 14th of February 2019.
In order to boost global support for the protocol and to encourage governments to ratify this protocol the ILO launched the 50forFreedom Campaign. This Campaign seeks to raise awareness on Modern Slavery and the many forms it manifests itself in, and to bolster support from people and governments around the world.
50forFreeedom Campaign –Forced Labour Protocol (Protocol to the Forced Labour Convention 1930)