Submission to the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery
15 March 2021
The Commonwealth 8.7 Network and CHRI submitted a joint response to the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery’s call for inputs on the nexus between forced displacement and contemporary forms of slavery. The statement included input from 5 Network members representing Australia, Canada, Nigeria and Vanuatu. The response was published on the OHCHR website and will go on to inform the Special Rapporteur’s thematic report that will be presented at the 48th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The response addresses how the marginalisation and lack of protection afforded to displaced persons increases their vulnerability to contemporary forms of slavery. It also notes the employment challenges faced by displaced persons and how this increases their risk of exploitation. The response also highlights the heightened risk of displaced children and adolescents, particularly those who are unaccompanied.
Collective Advocacy
14 April 2023
Joint Submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
15 February 2023
The Commonwealth 8.7 Network and CHRI submitted a joint response to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child’s call for input on their ‘draft general comment on children’s rights and the environment, with a special focus on climate change’. Our response included inputs from three Network members, Defence for Children International (Sierra Leone), It’s a Penalty (UK) and Youth Child Support Initiative (Nigeria), and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI). The joint response will be published on the Committee´s website, and will inform the General Comment.
The response focuses on the importance of recognising the impact of environmental harm on Articles 19, 32 and 34 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It calls for ensuring adequate guarantees for the right to be heard; and recognising the general obligation of States to protect, respect and promote children’s rights with respect to climate change and environmental harms.
Joint Submission to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
22 November 2022
The Commonwealth 8.7 Network and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) submitted a joint response to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Right (OHCHR)´s call for inputs on the adverse impact of forced marriage on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights by women and girls, to inform its report pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 48/6. The statement included inputs of CHRI and four members of the 8.7 Network: Anti-Slavery Australia (ASA) at the University of Technology Sydney, KIWOHEDE Tanzania, My Choices Foundation India, and MUWADA Uganda.
The response reflects local experiences of forced marriage, and its impact on the rights of women and girls, and underscores how they are particularly vulnerable to forced marriage. The submission also highlights the root causes of forced marriage, good practices implemented by stakeholders including governments/ state actors/ public authorities and civil society organisations, and proposes recommendations to States.
Joint Statement on the Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery on his mission to Sri Lanka
22 August 2022
The Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI) and the Foundation for Innovative Social Development (FISD), Secretariat and member of the Commonwealth 8.7 Network respectively, together with other civil society members of the National Action and Coordination Group to End Violence Against Children (NACG) in Sri Lanka, have prepared a joint response to the report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery on his visit to Sri Lanka (A/HRC/51/26/Add.1). This statement is primarily based on information provided by Sri Lanka civil society organisations: Blooming Bud Social Foundation, ChildFund Sri Lanka, FISD, OECRP, PMN, RAHAMA, SAFE Foundation, SAMADANA and World Vision Lanka.
The civil society statement welcomes the Special Rapporteur´s report, especially the inclusion of issues relating to children - including child labour - as a specific area of concern in Sri Lanka. The statement outlines the vulnerabilities suffered by children in Sri Lanka to become victims of child labour, including school drop out and school closure as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The statement also notes other challenges in Sri Lanka, such as lack of information on public policies related to the eradication of child labour. Finally, the statement provides a series of recommendations to the government of Sri Lanka to address these challenges.
Submission to the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children
18 May 2022
Submission to the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery
15 March 2021
The Commonwealth 8.7 Network and CHRI submitted a joint response to the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery’s call for inputs on the nexus between forced displacement and contemporary forms of slavery. The statement included input from 5 Network members representing Australia, Canada, Nigeria and Vanuatu. The response was published on the OHCHR website and will go on to inform the Special Rapporteur’s thematic report that will be presented at the 48th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council. The response addresses how the marginalisation and lack of protection afforded to displaced persons increases their vulnerability to contemporary forms of slavery. It also notes the employment challenges faced by displaced persons and how this increases their risk of exploitation. The response also highlights the heightened risk of displaced children and adolescents, particularly those who are unaccompanied.
Joint Submission, Contemporary Forms of Slavery in Sri Lanka - Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery
29 April 2021
Joint Submission to the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants’ for his report: ‘After one and half year: the impact of COVID-19 on the human rights of migrants’
21 June 2021
Submission to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Increased risks of contemporary forms of slavery for women and girls facing climate change-related disasters in Pacific Island Countries