The campaign to end all forms of slavery has taken an historic step forward.
The United Nations has appointed a special rapporteur to investigate, report on and recommend solutions to contemporary forms of slavery.
The appointment acknowledges the urgent need for international action to tackle slavery which affects at least 12 million men, women and children worldwide.
Although the British Slave trade was abolished in 1807, today there are still millions of people from across the world who are forced to work through coercion, deception or the threat or use of violence.
They are denied freedom, dehumanised, treated as property or bought and sold. Even though slavery is illegal under international law, no region is free from this abuse and slavery is found in every region and most countries.
Anti-slavery International’s director Aiden McQuaide said: “Anti-Slavery International commends the United Nations for putting greater priority on combating slavery and the United Kingdom Government for tabling this resolution.
“It is vital that all governments around the world respond to this initiative by extending an open invitation to the UN Special Rapporteur to visit their countries while providing full co-operation as they carry out their mandate. “
During the Hull Wilberforce 2007 commemorative year Hull City Council and its partners have been working to collect signatures alongside Anti-slavery International to carry on the work of campaigner William Wilberforce who led the fight to abolish the slave trade.
The figures from the two campaigns will be merged before the end of the year with an overall target of 50,000 signatures.
The current merged figure stands at over 42,000.
You can sign the petition here on the Wilberforce 2007 site.
Entries (RSS)