Campaign Update:

Campaign win! We did it. Costa Rica has officially ratified the Forced Labour Protocol getting us one step closer to ending forced labor. Just last year, Freedom United organized a petition hand-in with the Costa Rica Mission to the UN urging them to ratify the protocol!

“Last year on the occasion of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, Costa Rica made a firm commitment to fight against modern slavery and forced labor in our country by accepting Freedom United’s call to action to ratify the International Labour Organization’s Forced Labour Protocol. I am proud to say that last week, Costa Rica became the 46th country to ratify the Protocol. We stand firm in its implementation the Forced Labour Protocol and will continue to be committed to eradicate modern slavery in our country and to ask the other countries in the region to do so.” – Ambassador Rodrigo Carazo Zeledón

Help end forced labor

Western Australian Minister for Industrial Relations Bill Johnston receiving our P29 petition

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons - Calling for an end to Forced Labor, Petition Hand In

Mind The Gap / Exposing the gaps between Int standards and lived experiences of modern slavery

Round-table at the French Mission to the United Nations

Ambassador Rodrigo A. Carazo of Costa Rica accepting our Forced Labour Protocol petition

January 2020: Round-table at the French Mission to the United Nations

December 2019: Panel discussion with the Costa Rica Mission to the United Nations

Your country must act quickly to adopt and implement the international law¹ to prevent abuses, protect victims, as well as punish those that profit from forced labor.

We have already waited decades for this tough new global standard against forced labor. The people trapped on farms, in mines, in factories and in all the other places where forced labor flourishes shouldn’t have to wait while our policy-makers drag their heels to put this law into practice.

All countries must prioritize this effort to end forced labor: call on the Government of your country to adopt this law immediately.

This law — known as the Protocol of 2014 to Convention 29² — creates new responsibilities for governments in the fight against forced labor, the key measures cover:³

Prevention. Governments are obligated to create national action plans to tackle forced labor and support business to root out and respond to forced labor in their supply chains.
Better protection for victims. This includes the safeguarding of vulnerable migrant workers against fraudulent and abusive recruitment practices.
Justice. Victims are now protected from prosecution for crimes they may have committed as a direct result of their forced labor. They also have access to justice, including the ability to claim for compensation for the abuses they have experienced, where they occurred.

Our collective voice can keep forced labor on the agenda and ensure swift action by the Government of your country. Act now!

Learn more by visiting our landing page.

Ratified countries (46):

Argentina,Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Côte d’Ivoire, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Djibouti, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Jamaica, Latvia, Lesotho, Lithuania, Madagascar, Mali,Malawi, Malta, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Norway, Panama, Poland, Russian Federation, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe.

Notes:

Campaign win! We did it. Costa Rica has officially ratified the Forced Labour Protocol getting us one step closer to ending forced labor. Just last year, Freedom United organized a petition hand-in with the Costa Rica Mission to the UN urging them to ratify the protocol!

“Last year on the occasion of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, Costa Rica made a firm commitment to fight against modern slavery and forced labor in our country by accepting Freedom United’s call to action to ratify the International Labour Organization’s Forced Labour Protocol. I am proud to say that last week, Costa Rica became the 46th country to ratify the Protocol. We stand firm in its implementation the Forced Labour Protocol and will continue to be committed to eradicate modern slavery in our country and to ask the other countries in the region to do so.” – Ambassador Rodrigo Carazo Zeledón
August 2020: Western Australian Minister for Industrial Relations Bill Johnston received our petition calling on the Western Australian Parliament to pass the changes in the Industrial Relations Legislation Amendment Bill 2020! This bill would bring Western Australia in line with the requirements of the Protocol 29.
July 2020: Freedom United alongside our partners Be Slavery Free organized a petition hand in with Ambassador Mitch Fifield of Australia! Learn more about checking out our recap blog!
July 2020: Freedom United hosted a webinar with the UN Special Rapporteur on slavery alongside survivor advocate Nancy Esiovwa and Joanna Ewart-James to speak about international standards. Watch here!
COVID – 19 Update: Low-paid migrant workers are already among the people most vulnerable to modern slavery. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, these risks are heightened to critical levels. As businesses are closing due to government-mandated lockdowns, the risk is even higher because immigration status is easily leveraged to trap migrants in forced labor, trafficking, and other forms of modern slavery.
March 5, 2020: Lithuania joined our call to action to end forced labor by becoming the 45th country to ratify the ILO Protocol 29.
January 30, 2020: Tajikistan has taken a strong commitment to eradicate modern slavery by becoming the 44th country to ratify the Forced Labour Protocol!
January 16, 2020: Today, UN staff and NGOs came together for a lively roundtable discussion on international commitments to ending forced labor. The event was organized by Freedom United and hosted by the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York. Read more here
January 6, 2019: Thailand was the first country in Asia to ratify the Forced Labor Protocol. The International Labour Organization released a video reporting on Thailand’s implementation of the Protocol. View their progress here
December 16, 2019: New Zealand marks to be the 43rd country to sign the legally binding international law to end forced labor. By signing the Protocol, the government is making the commitment to upgrade the Plan of Action on People Trafficking to include protection against forced labor and modern-day slavery.
December 6, 2019: Freedom United and the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nation hosted an event with experts from the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Permanent Mission of Mexico to bring the issue of forced labor and human trafficking in Latin America to light.

At the event, Ambassador Rodrigo A. Carazo of Costa Rica accepted our petition calling on his government to ratify the Forced Labor Protocol.

Learn more about the event here
November 2019:Côte d’Ivoire has ratified the Forced Labour Protocol making it the 41st country to sign! Côte d’Ivoire is one of the largest suppliers for cocoa in the world, all too often produced with forced labor. The legally binding Protocol will help ensure protection and prevention measures clean up the cocoa supply chain.

Malawi ratified the Forced Labour Protocol making it the 42nd country to sign! Malawi has a large tobacco industry where many are forced to work and the Protocol is a significant step towards ending forced labor.
September 2019: Belgium, Austria, and Uzbekistan have now ratified bringing the total number of signatories to the Forced Labour Protocol to 40 countries.
August 2019: Lesotho has ratified the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention
June 2019: Great progress! Suriname, Madagascar, Canada and Germany ratify the forced labor protocol.
May 2019: Zimbabwe ratifies the forced labor protocol
April 2019: Sri Lanka ratifies the forced labor protocol
February 2019: Ireland ratifies the forced labor protocol!
January 2019: Malta and the Russian Federation ratify the ILO Forced Labor Protocol.
October 11, 2018: Israel becomes the 27th country to ratify the ILO Protocol to C29! Add your name today to call on your country to show their commitment to tackle forced labor and exploitation.

Campaign win! We did it. Costa Rica has officially ratified the Forced Labour Protocol getting us one step closer to ending forced labor. Just last year, Freedom United organized a petition hand-in with the Costa Rica Mission to the UN urging them to ratify the protocol!

“Last year on the occasion of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, Costa Rica made a firm commitment to fight against modern slavery and forced labor in our country by accepting Freedom United’s call to action to ratify the International Labour Organization’s Forced Labour Protocol. I am proud to say that last week, Costa Rica became the 46th country to ratify the Protocol. We stand firm in its implementation the Forced Labour Protocol and will continue to be committed to eradicate modern slavery in our country and to ask the other countries in the region to do so.” – Ambassador Rodrigo Carazo Zeledón
July 2020: Freedom United alongside our partners Be Slavery Free organized a petition hand in with Ambassador Mitch Fifield of Australia! Learn more about checking out our recap blog!
COVID – 19 Update: Low-paid migrant workers are already among the people most vulnerable to modern slavery. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, these risks are heightened to critical levels. As businesses are closing due to government-mandated lockdowns, the risk is even higher because immigration status is easily leveraged to trap migrants in forced labor, trafficking, and other forms of modern slavery.
January 30, 2020: Tajikistan has taken a strong commitment to eradicate modern slavery by becoming the 44th country to ratify the Forced Labour Protocol!
January 6, 2019: Thailand was the first country in Asia to ratify the Forced Labor Protocol. The International Labour Organization released a video reporting on Thailand’s implementation of the Protocol. View their progress here
December 6, 2019: Freedom United and the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nation hosted an event with experts from the International Labor Organization (ILO) and Permanent Mission of Mexico to bring the issue of forced labor and human trafficking in Latin America to light.

At the event, Ambassador Rodrigo A. Carazo of Costa Rica accepted our petition calling on his government to ratify the Forced Labor Protocol.

Learn more about the event here
September 2019: Belgium, Austria, and Uzbekistan have now ratified bringing the total number of signatories to the Forced Labour Protocol to 40 countries.
June 2019: Great progress! Suriname, Madagascar, Canada and Germany ratify the forced labor protocol.
April 2019: Sri Lanka ratifies the forced labor protocol
January 2019: Malta and the Russian Federation ratify the ILO Forced Labor Protocol.

August 2020: Western Australian Minister for Industrial Relations Bill Johnston received our petition calling on the Western Australian Parliament to pass the changes in the Industrial Relations Legislation Amendment Bill 2020! This bill would bring Western Australia in line with the requirements of the Protocol 29.
July 2020: Freedom United hosted a webinar with the UN Special Rapporteur on slavery alongside survivor advocate Nancy Esiovwa and Joanna Ewart-James to speak about international standards. Watch here!
March 5, 2020: Lithuania joined our call to action to end forced labor by becoming the 45th country to ratify the ILO Protocol 29.
January 16, 2020: Today, UN staff and NGOs came together for a lively roundtable discussion on international commitments to ending forced labor. The event was organized by Freedom United and hosted by the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York. Read more here
December 16, 2019: New Zealand marks to be the 43rd country to sign the legally binding international law to end forced labor. By signing the Protocol, the government is making the commitment to upgrade the Plan of Action on People Trafficking to include protection against forced labor and modern-day slavery.
November 2019:Côte d’Ivoire has ratified the Forced Labour Protocol making it the 41st country to sign! Côte d’Ivoire is one of the largest suppliers for cocoa in the world, all too often produced with forced labor. The legally binding Protocol will help ensure protection and prevention measures clean up the cocoa supply chain.

Malawi ratified the Forced Labour Protocol making it the 42nd country to sign! Malawi has a large tobacco industry where many are forced to work and the Protocol is a significant step towards ending forced labor.
August 2019: Lesotho has ratified the Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention
May 2019: Zimbabwe ratifies the forced labor protocol
February 2019: Ireland ratifies the forced labor protocol!
October 11, 2018: Israel becomes the 27th country to ratify the ILO Protocol to C29! Add your name today to call on your country to show their commitment to tackle forced labor and exploitation.

Jun 17, 2014 Campaign Launches

Chip in and help end modern slavery once and for all.

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Judy

1 year ago

Corporations only exist to make profits and are not required by our leaders to take any responsibility for their impacts on people’s lives or the environment. Sadly, they can continue to do business because we continue to buy their “edible food-like substances” and their cheap consumer goods. We want to have all the latest fashions, newest gadgets and drive around in gas guzzling vehicles. If we all stopped buying their crap it would get their attention pretty quickly.

Steve Barton

9 months ago

Reply to Judy

Absolutely agree Judy.

Denise

10 months ago

Reply to Judy

Just thinking in the same way. We, the consumers, have a big responsibility but this will take a long time till we can stop slavery for ever on this world. Through actions like FREEDOMUNITED we can at least cooperate to end slavery in our own country and when more and more governments will act in this way, we can hope that modern slavery will end sooner all over the world. This is a long way to beginn firmly, honestly and together!

Marilynn

11 months ago

Reply to Judy

Couldn’t have said it better!

Maureen A Absten

3 years ago

STOP sex slave trade all over the world

Roger Penney

1 year ago

Many years ago Britain stopped the slave trade (1807). in 1834 we stopped slavery itself in the British Empire. To our shame it is all coming back in every vile and ugly form, with some more even more disgustingly vile features.

Lyn Spraggons

3 years ago

Its just reprehensible that in 2017 we still enslave,torture and put humans to work like “pit ponies” and we managed to rescue most of the ponies but these unfortunate people are mislead into a life of hell,through no fault of their own!! Its sickening and must be stopped at all costs!!!