Slavery resources

• An evidentiary regime adapted to forced labour.
• Provisions on state-imposed forced labour.
• One-stop shop EU-wide complaints mechanism.
• Remediation.

Open letter from Civil Society Organisations’ to EU policy makers regarding recommendations on responsible disengagement in the Corporate Due Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (“CSDDD”), Articles 7(5) and 8(8) (suspension and termination of business relationships).

As the SDG Summit draws to a close, we observed a worrying lack of meaningful global leadership on issues of forced labour, child labour and trafficking.  In reaffirming their commitments to the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Anti-Slavery International, alongside 90+ sector organisations, urges Member States to:

1. Reaffirm their commitment, in the strongest terms possible, to the full, effective, and meaningful implementation of SDG 8.7.
2. Recognising that SDG 8.7 is deeply interconnected with achieving most of the SDGs, significantly increase your Government’s efforts to address the root causes of forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking, and the worst forms of child labour, inter alia, poverty, discrimination, gender inequality, climate change, and conflict.
3. Ensure that all efforts and deliberative and decision-making processes are survivor-led, centred, and informed, and commit to adopting multi-stakeholder and intergenerational partnerships to support prevention, protection, and prosecution efforts.
   

See here for the open letter sent to UN Ambassadors from 73 sector organisations on 21 September.

On 1 June 2023, the European Parliament agreed its compromise text for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). This agreement means that the European Parliament has formed its negotiating position for the upcoming trilogue that will take place between the Parliament, European Commission and Council of the European Union for the coming months to agree the final text of the Directive. Importantly, this agreement takes us one step closer to mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD)
legislation in the European Union (EU). We are pleased with the vast improvements made in this text to the Commission’s proposal, however there are some loopholes that remain, which cause serious concern for the final legislation’s ability to hold companies accountable for forced labour.

This guidance, published with La Strada International, explains how businesses can prevent and mitigate some of the risks of labour exploitation, forced labour and trafficking affecting displaced people. It is aimed in particular at businesses who work in or with suppliers in countries neighbouring conflict zones or where there are high numbers of displaced people.

We, representatives of the global Uyghur community, investor groups, civil society organisations, trade unions, environmental organisations, and academics, are writing to you in advance of the G7 Ministerial Meetings and Leaders’ Summit in 2023 to urge for the adoption of concrete measures to combat the use of systemic forced labour in the global transition to clean energies.

The Anti-Trafficking Monitoring Group provides a detailed overview of the UK Government’s proposed “Illegal Migration” Bill. The ATMG raise deep concerns about the government’s proposed ‘Illegal Migration Bill’, which targets some of the most vulnerable groups in our society, including but not limited to, those seeking asylum, victims and survivors of trafficking and modern slavery, including separated children and those with families. The ATMG reject this Bill and urge the parliament to reject it in its entirety.

Joint civil society briefing for the House of Lords second reading – This joint civil society briefing for the House of Lords second reading of the Bill is co-written and approved by signatory civil society organisations. Anti-Slavery International has deemed this bill as cruel, unworkable and inhumane, and therefore unamendable. The Bill undermines our moral and legal obligations to victims of trafficking, refugees, and asylum seekers. Due to specialist sector experience and expertise, organisations have signed the parts of the briefing within their remit but that does not imply disagreement with the other parts.

Anti-Slavery International co-authored an essay with Walk Free for the Global Slavery Index – see the original article here in the Global Slavery Index.

Compounding crises serve to heighten the risks of all forms of modern slavery. The COVID-19 pandemic, armed conflicts, and climate change have led to unprecedented disruption in employment and education, as well as increases in inequalities, distress migration, and reports of gender-based violence and forced marriage. Anti-Slavery International and Walk Free look at the connections between climate change and modern slavery and provide recommendations for governments.

Written evidence submitted by Anti-Slavery International to the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee in regarding Batteries for Electric Vehicle Manufacturing.

Anti-Slavery International welcomes the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee’s enquiry, which recognises the important role of electric vehicles (‘EV’) in the UK Government’s vital journey to net zero. However, we urge the Committee to recognise and assess the risk of the use of forced labour of Uyghurs and other Turkic and Muslim-majority peoples in the EV industry. Thus, this submission focuses on the question in the Call for Evidence “What are the risks to the UK automotive industry of not establishing sufficient battery manufacturing capacity in the UK?”