Mauritanian president moves against slavery

Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, Mauritania's first democratically elected president, pledged he would toughen the country's anti-slavery legislation and take action to help former slaves.

This is the first time slavery has been officially acknowledged as a problem in Mauritania and that a commitment has been made to address it.

Abdallahi made the proclamation following the 25 March elections, the first presidential elections after 20 years of dictatorship. He vowed remaining cases of slavery would be punished, and former slaves and their descendants would benefit from positive discrimination.

Anti-slavery activist and SOS Esclaves president, Boubacar Messaoud, said he looks forward to working with the new president and his government to develop a national action plan to end slavery.

Despite being banned since 1981, slavery, which is inherited over generations, is found throughout the country.

Child camel jockey programme extended

On 24 April, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Government extended its agreement to rehabilitate and repatriate children trafficked as camel jockeys.

The agreement with UNICEF extends a project which began in May 2005. Although this latest move is an encouraging step forward, Anti-Slavery International is concerned that the use of child camel jockeys continues.

According to official figures 1,076 children were repatriated by March 2006, when the repatriation programme ended. This figure is far below the UAE Government's 2005 estimate of there being 3,000 child camel jockeys in the country.

There is no information on what has happened to the missing children, raising fears that they continue to be used to train or look after camels or may have been trafficked into other forms of slavery.

It is vital these children are found and, if they are still working as camel jockeys, that those responsible are prosecuted in line with UAE law.

Anti-Slavery receives medal for ongoing work to end slavery

Anti-Slavery International was awarded the Wilberforce Medal by the Wilberforce Lecture Trust on 24 April.

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams presented the Award to Anti-Slavery International Director Aidan McQuade at City Hall in Hull in recognition of Anti-Slavery International's continuing work against slavery and "for pursuing the legacy of William Wilberforce" and that of the other abolitionists.

The Wilberforce Medal was established in 1995 in order to award individuals or organisations whose work has made an outstanding contribution towards human rights. Previous recipients include Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Clare Short MP.

Anti-Slavery helps free trafficked women - traffickers in court

In March, Anti-Slavery International helped free four women trafficked into prostitution in Côte d'Ivoire, resulting in their safe return home and the prosecution of their traffickers.

The women, aged between 17 and 24, were trafficked from the Philippines believing they were going to work in France. Instead, they were taken to Abidjan, capital of Côte d'Ivoire in West Africa, and forced into prostitution.

Upon arrival, they were told they had to work as prostitutes for a year for no money in order to pay the US$5,000 each was told she owed.

Anti-Slavery International also provided information to local NGOs, lawyers and police which has resulted in the successful prosecution of the traffickers, Chao Yao Hui from Taiwan and Lorna Velonza from the Philippines. Both were sentenced on 7 March to six months in prison and were ordered to pay US$10,000 in compensation to each woman. The case is now pending appeal.

The International Organization for Migration helped facilitate the women's safe return. They are now receiving counselling and assistance from our local partner Visayan Forum.

In an effort to prosecute the entire trafficking ring, Visayan Forum is currently pursuing a case against all those involved in the Philippines.

UK Government signs Council of Europe trafficking convention

In a welcome move, on 23 March the United Kingdom signed the Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings and pledged it would ratify this crucial convention.

Anti-Slavery International, our supporters and partners have been calling on the Government to sign the Convention since it opened for signature in May 2005.
The Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott announced the Government's intentions saying "Let the anniversary that we commemorate today [the abolition of the Slave Trade] lead to ... greater recognition of slavery in its old and new contexts, and to redressing the evil imbalance that it continues to create... we reinforce our commitment to a future in which there can be social justice and freedom for all."

It is vital the Government ratifies and implements the Convention as a matter of urgency, as it is the only international law that provides guaranteed minimum standards of protection for all trafficked people. This includes at least 30 days to stay in the country to receive emergency medical assistance, safe housing, legal advice and temporary residence permits for those who may be in danger if they return to their country of origin.

Current protection and support services for trafficked women and children are inadequate and there is no specific assistance available to those trafficked for labour exploitation.

It is equally vital the Government avoids introducing policies that increase people's vulnerability to trafficking, such as its proposal for measures that would prevent migrant domestic workers in abusive situations from changing their employers.

To date, over 30 countries have signed the Convention, seven have ratified it. Ten ratifications are required for it to enter into force.