Putting slavery firmly on development agenda is just the beginning
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Version 0 of 1. From India’s brick kilns to North Korean labour camps in Siberia – from fishing boats off the coast of Thailand to the enslavement of children in cannabis factories and nail bars across the UK – global awareness of the nature and scale of modern slavery is growing. Just as importantly, the understanding of slavery as a challenge and indeed consequence of our globalised world is finding its way on to national and international agendas. Related: Human traffickers may face life sentence under Britain's tough new slavery bill The Modern Slavery Act has officially come into force in the UK, while “ending modern slavery and human trafficking” is part of the post-2015 development agenda expected to be adopted by the UN general assembly in September. The sustainable development goals (SDGs) will shape the development priorities of both the UN and its member states over the next 15 years, bringing concerted action, political will and increased funding to the fight against slavery. This is a huge step forward. Most crucial has been the support of the member states that drove the change; these include the UK and US as well as many G77 countries, particularly South Africa and Argentina. Until now, modern slavery and development have been treated largely as separate policy areas. In fact, they are inextricably linked. Slavery, of course, has a devastating impact on individual victims. But it also has wider implications for human development. It impedes health, economic growth, the rule of law, women’s empowerment and lifetime prospects for youth. It results in huge losses to developing countries. Remittance flows are taken from victims, who are forced to pay off debts, and become profits for criminals. Many victims are young, so slavery robs communities of those who could contribute most to local development. While the renewed global commitment to tackling slavery is to be celebrated, it should be seen as an opportunity rather than a solution. After all, slavery persists despite 12 international conventions and more than 300 international treaties banning its existence. Slavery in its modern manifestation cannot be banned by treaty. It is not a trade route that can be cut off. It is integrated, embedded and even institutionalised in our society. It is a cog in our economic machine, manifesting itself in a hidden underworld but interacting with the legitimate economy and intrinsically linked to global supply chains. Slavery involves the loss of human dignity and freedom and is undeniably a human rights issue. It is also a booming economy, both in its illicit activity and the way it permeates and supports the legitimate economy. Slavery is an issue for the business world. It is also a criminal and law enforcement issue, and must be a priority for our police and other enforcement agencies. It is the responsibility of all: businesses, whose supply chains may be affected; the financial sector, which may unwittingly facilitate illicit transfers of criminal proceeds; the consumer, who has the power to influence ethical business practice; and the police on our streets, who cannot shrug their shoulders and say that this is “too hidden a crime”. We now have unprecedented support to tackle this issue both in the UK and worldwide, and we must see this as a call to action. Since the passing of the Palermo Protocol in 2000, anti-slavery activity and legislation have increased. But in terms of outcomes, the anti-slavery movement has largely failed. Related: A loophole in the slavery bill could allow companies to hide supply chain abuses Countless global prevention campaigns aim to protect vulnerable people from exploitation, yet there has been little robust research into their effectiveness. We simply do not know what works. There has also been far too much simplistic focus on raising awareness, as opposed to addressing the root causes of vulnerability. The inclusion of modern slavery in the SDGs offers a real opportunity for change, however. Despite pockets of good practice, treatment of these most vulnerable members of our society can be shockingly poor. Often, victims are not properly identified. They are more likely to be wrongly prosecuted than to see their exploiters behind bars. We urgently need a culture of support that focuses on their long-term reintegration into society, rather than on the mere provision of basic services for a period of weeks. Prosecutions and convictions must increase, because as things stand criminals view slavery as high-reward and low-risk. To date, 41% of all countries have had no trafficking convictions, or recorded fewer than 10 convictions between 2010 and 2012. There are an estimated 13,000 potential victims of modern slavery in the UK, yet in 2013-14 there were just 130 convictions for trafficking-related offences. Globally, the numbers are getting worse, not better. Governments and their agencies urgently need to recognise that the prosecution of traffickers and the protection of victims are intimately intertwined. Standard responses that ignore, arrest, detain or deport victims are not only morally reprehensible, but serve to thwart proper identification and the opportunity to empower victims to testify against their traffickers. Unless prosecutions increase, those who have escaped their traffickers will simply be replaced, while those responsible for this human misery and exploitation will continue to operate with almost total impunity. So, as we celebrate the fact that the fight against slavery is part of the global development agenda, we should take a moment to reflect on how far we have come, the awareness that has been created and the legislative tools now available to us. None of this matters unless more victims are identified and supported, more criminals are pursued and convicted, and, ultimately, we are able to address the root causes of slavery and prevent such appalling instances of exploitation across the globe. • Kevin Hyland is the UK’s first independent anti-slavery commissioner. He was formerly head of the Metropolitan police service’s human trafficking unit. |