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.
About the 8.7 Network
SDG 8.7
The Commonwealth 8.7 Network is a group of 112 local civil society organisations and individuals from across the globe who share a common vision to eradicate contemporary forms of slavery and human trafficking.
Our network is named after the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 8.7 which seeks to end modern slavery, including forced labour, human trafficking, and child labour, by 2030.
We were founded by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in 2019. That same year, our network was awarded the Commonwealth Secretary-General’s Innovation for Sustainable Development Award.
Our mission is to raise awareness, strengthen skills, share good practice, provide support to survivors of modern slavery, and advocate for change to laws and policies in support of all victims and survivors of modern slavery and human trafficking.
Commonwealth 8.7 Network on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons
30 July 2023 - On ‘World Day against Trafficking in Persons’, members of the Commonwealth 8.7 Network united to reinforce their unwavering commitment to combating human trafficking and to intensify their efforts to put an end to modern slavery and human trafficking worldwide. A diverse array of voices, including activists and survivors of human trafficking from Africa, Asia, Europe, Americas and the Pacific underscored the urgent need for collective action to confront this grave violation of human rights.
Countries of the Commonwealth
Antigua and Barbuda. Australia. Bangladesh. Barbados. Belize. Botswana. Brunei. Cameroon. Canada. Dominica. Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland). Fiji. Gabon. The Gambia. Ghana. Grenada. Guyana. India. Jamaica. Kenya. Kiribati. Lesotho. Malawi. Maldives. Malaysia. Malta. Mauritius. Mozambique. Namibia. Nauru. New Zealand. Nigeria. Pakistan. Papua New Guinea. Republic of Cyprus. Rwanda. Samoa. Seychelles. Sierra Leone. Singapore. Solomon Islands. South Africa. Sri Lanka. St Christopher and Nevis. St. Lucia. St Vincent and the Grenadines. The Bahamas. Togo. Tonga. Trinidad and Tobago. Tuvalu. Uganda. United Kingdom. United Republic of Tanzania. Vanuatu. Zambia.
