Policy and Advocacy
We influence governments to create an enabling policy environment where they are accountable for ending the conditions that make people vulnerable to exploitation and ensuring justice for survivors of modern slavery.
These priorities are the epicenter of the anti-modern slavery movement.
Modern slavery results from a complex mixture of political, economic, social, and cultural conditions that increase the vulnerability of people pushed to the margins.
Issues affecting individuals and families, like poverty, unemployment, lack of access to education, barriers to health care, and impunity and corruption, often result from inadequate policies and ineffective implementation of existing policies by national governments and regional and international coalitions of nations.
These conditions that allow modern slavery to flourish are addressed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Government policies on human rights, labor rights, gender equality, migration and immigration, education, and access to health care and social services directly affect the situations faced by people who are vulnerable to trafficking, exploitation, and slavery. The United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals to encourage nations to address a wide range of issues affecting the quality of life for millions of people worldwide. Governments that enact and implement evidence-based policies that improve the situation of people struggling to survive and improve their lives will also more effectively eliminate slavery within their borders.
Government accountability regarding the implementation of policies that reduce human trafficking and modern slavery is difficult to ensure. The primary challenge is that very few tools and mechanisms are available to hold governments accountable for breaching their promises.
Alliance 8.7 Accountability Framework Document
Click here to DOWNLOAD the Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder Country Accountability Framework Document to learn more about the accountability guidelines and processes for Pathfinder Countries.
Alliance 8.7 is an initiative inspired by Sustainable Development Goal 8.7. SDG 8.7 focuses on eliminating the scourge of modern slavery, forced labor, human trafficking, and all forms of child labor exploitation. Alliance 8.7 was launched in 2016 with a mandate to develop partnerships among stakeholders from UN member states, international development institutions like the International Labor Organization (ILO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), and civil society organizations.
These partnerships aim to support to member nations (Pathfinder Countries) as they work to meet the objectives contained in their country roadmaps.
In recognition of the need to measure and verify progress towards these goals, Free The Slaves began – with invaluable support from the Alliance 8.7 Secretariat – to develop a set of toolkits and indicators that help measure and evaluate the effectiveness of efforts by Pathfinder Countries to end modern slavery within their borders. Since 2021, Free the Slaves has worked with the Alliance 8.7 Secretariat to develop our vision of a framework that will hold member countries accountable for their commitments to end modern slavery. Now, every pathfinder and member country must adopt the Accountability Framework to join Alliance 8.7 or remain a member of this prestigious group.
The Accountability Framework was unanimously adopted by the Alliance 8.7 Global Coordinating Group (GCG) in December 2022 in Turin, Italy. Its companion document, the Implementation Mechanism, was adopted by the GCG on February 15, 2023.
Our Impact at Alliance 8.7
Recently, the Global Coordination Group (GCG) of Alliance 8.7 adopted the Accountability Framework and Implementation Mechanism initiated by Free the Slaves. Free the Slaves initiated the process of developing the Accountability Framework in 2021 and submitted a proposed draft of the Framework to the Alliance 8.7 Monitoring Working Group (MWG). As a member organization of the MWG, Free the Slaves participated in leading the process of refining the Accountability Framework document and its Implementation Mechanism before its final presentation to the Global Coordinating Group, leading to its eventual unanimous adoption at the December 2022 meeting of the Global Coordinating Group in Turin, Italy.
We at Free the Slaves are realistic and pragmatic enough to understand that the mere existence of an Accountability Framework will not achieve SDG 8.7. What the Framework does is provide the benchmark, the minimum that is expected from Pathfinder Countries. Furthermore, it will guide and incentivize PFCs to do more, to go beyond and above.
Free The Slaves is pleased to have been at the heart of driving this initiative, with the invaluable support of the Alliance 8.7 secretariat and the Monitoring Working Group.
Free the Slaves is actively working through several international alliances, coalitions, and partnerships to influence policy and decision-makers to improve anti-slavery and anti-trafficking policies globally and in the United States. We aim to influence increased investment and engagement in anti-trafficking and anti-modern slavery programs by donor agencies and multilateral institutions that will deepen and broaden the scope of anti-modern slavery activities worldwide.
The civil society anti-slavery movement can’t be successful working alone. We need businesses, institutions, and governments to see and acknowledge that slavery exists where they are already working and then adopt and implement policies that eliminate the conditions that contribute to modern-day slavery.
Free the Slaves Global, Regional, and National Policy and Advocacy Strategies
Global Policy and Advocacy Strategy
At the Global level:
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- We work at the UN Security Council level to ensure human trafficking is part of the key agenda of the council.
- Free the Slaves partners with Alliance 8.7 to ensure the Pathfinder Country initiative reaches its goals and objectives by effectively implementing of the Accountability Framework.
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Regional Policy and Advocacy Strategy
At the regional level, we influence key stakeholders to create or strengthen policies that enable governmental accountability, ensure justice for survivors, and promote the mechanism that enables effective policies to emerge.
Examples include:
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- At the African Union, we aim to work with interested bodies to mainstream the modern slavery agenda in policy decisions.
- At the Association of Southeast Asian Nation Free the Slaves aims to work with specific structures to mainstream a modern slavery agenda.
Region Specific Policy and Advocacy Strategies
In specific regions, we work with countries to ensure that forced labor, human trafficking, modern slavery, and child labor are part of the priorities in the national agenda and support nations to successfully fulfill their commitment to the pathfinder process.
Examples include:
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- In Africa, ensuring more countries join the Alliance 8.7’s pathfinder community. For example, work with some interested governments in East, Central, West, and Southern Africa to promote the pathfinder initiative and support countries to join the initiative.
- In Asia, ensuring more countries join the Alliance 8.7’s pathfinder community. For example, work with some interested governments in South and Southeast Asia to promote the pathfinder initiative and support countries to join the initiative.
- In Latin America, ensuring more countries join the Alliance 8.7’s pathfinder community. For example, work with some interested governments in Central and Southern America to promote the pathfinder initiative and support countries to join the initiative.
- In the Caribbean, ensuring more countries join the Alliance 8.7’s pathfinder community. For example, work with some interested governments in Central and Southern America to promote the pathfinder initiative and support countries to join the initiative.
- In the Middle East & North Africa, we are increasing the awareness of the public in the region on the issue of modern slavery through a podcast series broadcast to the general public.
In-Country Policy and Advocacy Strategy
In-country policy and advocacy work consists of supporting the prosecution of forced labor, human trafficking, modern slavery, and child labor offenses by building the capacity of the judiciary.
Examples include:
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- In Trinidad & Tobago, we aim to build the capacity of local community actors to collect evidence according to the rule of evidence in the criminal law and increase the capacity of the judiciary to increase prosecutions for the crimes of forced labor, human trafficking, child labor, and modern slavery.
- In Cote d’Ivoire, we will train local activists in evidence collection for the crimes of forced labor and child labor and increase the judiciary’s capacity to prosecute of these crimes.
- In Kuwait and Maruitania, we advocate for the social integration of marginalized communities.
In Pathfinder Countries, we support governments to fulfill their commitment to the pathfinder initiative and engage CSOs, survivors, and other key partners to support the government’s roadmaps.
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- We aim to support Mauritania, Peru, DRC, and Cote d’Ivoire to implement their roadmaps and fulfill their pathfinder commitments.
United States Policy and Advocacy Strategy
In the United States, we are part of the ATEST coalition. We collectively work to influence the US government’s priorities for human trafficking and other modern slavery issues as related to the government’s overall agenda.
Global Policy and Advocacy Strategy
At a Global level:
-
-
- We work at the UN Security Council level to ensure human trafficking is part of the key agenda of the council.
- Free the Slaves works with Alliance 8.7 to ensure the Pathfinder Country initiative reaches its goals and objectives by effectively implementing of the Accountability Framework.
-
Regional Policy and Advocacy Strategy
At the regional level, we influence key stakeholders to create or strengthen policies that enable governmental accountability, ensure justice for survivors, and promote the mechanism that enables effective policies to emerge.
Examples include:
-
- At the African Union, we aim to work with interested bodies to mainstream the modern slavery agenda in policy decision.
- At the Association of Southeast Asian Nation Free the Slaves aims to work with specific structures to mainstream a modern slavery agenda.
Region Specific Policy and Advocacy Strategy
In specific regions, we work with countries to ensure that forced labor, human trafficking, modern slavery, and child labor are part of the priorities in the national agenda and support nations to successfully fulfill their commitment to the pathfinder process.
Examples include:
-
- In Africa, ensuring more countries join the Alliance 8.7’s pathfinder community. For example, work with some interested governments in East, Central, West, and Southern Africa to promote the pathfinder initiative and support countries to join the initiative.
- In Asia, ensuring more countries join the Alliance 8.7’s pathfinder community. For example, work with some interested governments in South and Southeast Asia to promote the pathfinder initiative and support countries to join the initiative.
- In Latin America, ensuring more countries join the Alliance 8.7’s pathfinder community. For example, work with some interested governments in Central and Southern America to promote the pathfinder initiative and support countries to join the initiative.
- In the Caribbean, ensuring more countries join the Alliance 8.7’s pathfinder community. For example, work with some interested governments in Central and Southern America to promote the pathfinder initiative and support countries to join the initiative.
- In the Middle East & North Africa, we are increasing the awareness of the public in the region on the issue of modern slavery through a podcast series broadcast to the general public.
In-Country Policy and Advocacy Strategy
In-country policy and advocacy work consists of supporting the prosecution of forced labor, human trafficking, modern slavery, and child labor offenses by building the capacity of the judiciary.
Examples include:
-
- In Trinidad & Tobago, we aim to build the capacity of local community actors to collect evidence according to the rule of evidence in the criminal law and increase the capacity of the judiciary to increase prosecutions for the crimes of forced labor, human trafficking, child labor, and modern slavery.
- In Cote d’Ivoire, we will train local activists in evidence collection for the crimes of forced labor and child labor and increase the judiciary’s capacity to prosecute of these crimes.
- In Kuwait and Maruitania, we advocate for the social integration of marginalized communities.
In Pathfinder Countries, we support governments to fulfill their commitment to the pathfinder initiative and engage CSOs, survivors, and other key partners to support the government’s roadmaps.
-
- We aim to support Mauritania, Peru, DRC, and Cote d’Ivoire to implement their roadmaps and fulfill their pathfinder commitments.
United States Policy and Advocacy Strategy
In the United States, we are part of the ATEST coalition. We collectively work to influence the US government’s priorities for human trafficking and other modern slavery issues as related to the government’s overall agenda.
Policy and Advocacy Alliances We Participate In:
Alliance 8.7
Alliance 8.7 is a United Nations inspired initiative focused on achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 (SDG 8.7). SDG 8.7 aims to eliminate child labor by 2025 and eradicate human trafficking, modern slavery, and forced labor by 2030. The Alliance presently comprises 26 nations referred to as Pathfinder Countries – it is expected that more countries will “manifest” their intention to join in the years ahead. There are more than 370 other partner organizations, and that number is growing. Free the Slaves is a civil society member of Alliance 8.7 and a member of its decision-making body, the Global Coordination Group (GCG) and the Monitoring Working Group (MWG), which establishes compliance guidelines and monitors countries’ progress.
Nations volunteer to join as pathfinder countries and subsequently create a “roadmap” to accomplish SDG 8.7 within their borders. Alliance 8.7 supports member nations in achieving the objectives laid out in the roadmaps that countries outline and set for themselves. However, while membership is voluntary, it comes with an obligation that pathfinder countries (PFCs) take verifiable and measurable steps that demonstrate they are working diligently to meet these goals they set for themselves. The approach is simple. It is a partnership to gently remind states of their obligations under the Sustainable Development Goals.
Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking
The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST) is a US-based coalition of 16 independent organizations that advocates for solutions to prevent and end all forms of human trafficking and modern slavery worldwide.
Free the Slaves participates in the ATEST coalition to collaborate with like-minded civil society organizations in eradicating modern slavery using policy and advocacy tools.
Current advocacy issues we are working on with the ATEST coalition.
- Updates to The Trafficking Victims Protection Act and Budget Allocations to Support its implementation.
- Upholding Data Transparency to Require Manifest Disclosure Data to Remain Public for US ports.
- Foreign Labor Recruiting Regulations in California.
International Anti-Trafficking and Anti-Modern Slavery Policy Resources
United States Anti-Trafficking and Anti-Modern Slavery Policy Resources
You can help us free the slaves by supporting our work to address the policy and Implementation gaps in social systems that allow slavery to flourish.