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.
8.7 Network Webinars
The Commonwealth 8.7 Network offers a series of capacity building webinars to provide Network members and other civil society organisations with targeted training on various thematic and operational issues relating to contemporary forms of slavery. Webinar topics are selected based on the needs of Network members, as identified through member surveys and inputs from the 8.7 Working Group. The majority of our webinars are open to anyone interested, free of charge.
Watch the recordings and subscribe to the 8.7 Webinar Series playlist on Youtube.
Disability & Modern Slavery
6 June 2023
People with disabilities, particularly those with cognitive disabilities, are at significant risk of human trafficking and other forms of modern slavery. Despite this, the link between disability and modern slavery remains largely unexplored. Our Disability & Modern Slavery webinar investigated the causes and consequences of modern slavery in the context of disability. Focus areas included the reasons why persons with disabilities are at increased risk of modern slavery, the barriers facing organisations seeking to address the problem and the way forward for tackling emerging trends of disability and modern slavery in the Commonwealth.