Supply chain governance improves but child trafficking prevention stagnates in OSCE report
A new survey of OSCE member states reveals mixed progress for anti-trafficking work, Nepal abolishes bonded labour practices, and a UK scoping study highlights the need for a global commission on modern slavery.
A new survey report from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) reveals a mixed picture of progress in anti-trafficking work among participating states. While countries have made advances in measures relating to supply chain labour practices and the outlawing of recruitment fees, policies to prevent child trafficking appear to be stagnating.
The Survey Report 2021 of Efforts to Implement OSCE Commitments and Recommended Actions to Combat Trafficking in Human Beings was developed to track the progress of anti-trafficking commitments since the previous survey, in 2015, and to find out if participating states are making improvements and adopting new laws in this area.
It also features new sections on vulnerability reduction, awareness-raising and addressing demand, and the role of technology in facilitating and combating human trafficking and the online sexual exploitation of children. It further describes emerging trends and presents recommendations for participating states.
The survey found that, in current prevention work, the focus is on government procurement practices and the monitoring of supply chains; measures to address demand for services provided by victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation; and action to reduce vulnerability to trafficking.
Countries have made good progress in strengthening public procurement and transparency measures relating to labour practices in supply networks – the number of countries with policies in place has almost doubled since 2015. However, as governments mostly rely on self-certification and supplier codes of conduct, more emphasis should be given to robust monitoring processes, says the report. Governments and businesses have also recognised that due diligence must include the ways in which migrant workers are recruited and managed – there has been a major increase (from 16 to 29) in the number of participating states prohibiting recruitment agencies from charging workers recruitment fees.
Little new information was reported by respondents in relation to child trafficking prevention policies, however, suggesting stagnation in this area. This stands in juxtaposition with data showing that the proportion of child victims has tripled in the past 15 years. Measures to prevent sexual exploitation of children associated with the tourism industry remained the least reported measure and little progress was reported on addressing child trafficking, although children represent a third of all victims. While there is a strong focus on education and awareness, there is little attention on assessing the effectiveness of reported activities.
Emerging trends reported in 2020/21 were: use of live web cameras/live remote sexual abuse (pornography); trafficking of pregnant women for the purpose of selling their newborns; targeting of people with developmental/physical disabilities by traffickers; significantly increased risks to minors of online exploitation due to COVID restrictions; an increase in forced criminality from two per cent to 24 per cent of all reported cases; and a substantial increase in cases of trafficking for forced begging and sham marriages.
Overall, the report shows that OSCE participating states are making steady progress in implementing its anti-trafficking commitments, but are limited by resource constraints across all aspects of the trafficking response. There is a widespread need for enhanced political will to increase investment in the eradication of human trafficking, particularly in areas with a greater potential for impact, including prevention efforts targeting the “demand” side of the crime; the use of victim feedback on services to improve targeting of limited resources; increased seizure and use of traffickers’ assets to support resources for anti-trafficking work; and greater measurement and evaluation of initiatives.
Here’s a round-up of other noteworthy news and initiatives:
Last Monday, the Government of Nepal announced the liberation of Harawa-Charawa agricultural bonded labourers, a vital step towards debt cancellation and community rehabilitation for affected groups. A form of modern slavery, the traditional Harawa-Charawa system targets impoverished and marginalized Dalit communities. Read The Freedom Fund’s statement here.
A scoping study by the Modern Slavery and Human Rights Policy and Evidence Centre (Modern Slavery PEC), commissioned by British MP Theresa May, has concluded there is a compelling need for a global commission on modern slavery. The report further adds that current global efforts in relation to modern slavery and human trafficking are not on track to bring about the necessary transformation in the effectiveness of the laws, policies and practices to address it.
The results of independent monitoring by Turkmen.news and the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) during the 2021 Turkmenistan cotton harvest show that not only were public sector workers among the tens of thousands forced to pick cotton, but so also were vulnerable groups such as migrant workers, those with addictions, and children. However, major American retailers continue to sell products made with cotton from Turkmenistan despite a long-standing U.S. Customs and Border Protection ban over findings of state-enforced slave labour in the Central Asian nation.
A federal agent has testified that officials were bribed to pass housing inspections by an alleged criminal trafficking organization, allowing the group to bring seasonal farmworkers to the U.S. In fact, the traffickers subjected workers to degrading living conditions, say prosecutors. The investigation has led to criminal prosecutions against 28 defendants charged with forced labour conspiracy or other crimes, in one of the largest-ever federal cases involving trafficking of guest farmworkers.
BusinessEurope, a Brussels-based confederation of 40 national industry bodies and employers’ associations, reasserts the widespread position of EU-based companies by “fully” condemning forced labour as a human rights abuse and gives cautious backing to an EU ban on forced labour goods.
This investigation highlights how Myanmar’s COVID-19 border closure and the recent coup have driven workers to desperation. The perpetual cycle in which workers who are close to repaying debts for visas and permits are told they have to pay renewal fees is a key indicator of debt slavery.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs (USDOL/ILAB) has published Notices of Intent (NOI) to solicit cooperative agreement applications. Subject to the availability of funds, USDOL/ILAB intends to award a cooperative agreement(s) for projects focused on the Dominican Sugar Sector, Labor Justice System in Mexico, Child Labor in West African Agriculture, and Forced Labor, Child Labor, and Other Labor Violations in Cattle Raising Areas of Brazil and Paraguay.
The Freedom Fund Ethiopia Office is looking for a Senior Program Officer to be responsible for managing at least three program officers, ensuring smooth implementation of project delivery and program quality, providing support with partners’ coordination and accompaniment, assisting the Country Representative with overall programmatic management, and as a focal person for research and technical assistance consultancies contracted by HQ in support of program work in Ethiopia.
Share your news
Post your experiences from the field and initiatives to feature