The manual developed by CRISIS and ACTRAV puts the emphasis on the importance of the role of trade unions in prevention and early warning and proposes measures and initiatives to be implemented by trade unions in cooperation with governments, employers and other players in civil society with a view to achieving peace, building upon it and undertaking reconstruction.

Commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking of children is considered by ILO as one of the worst forms of child labour which requires immediate and definitive action from governments. It is a violation of the fundamental human rights of the most vulnerable in our society, our children, and an outrage that must be condemned in the strongest manner, it must also galvanize us into action. ILO research in the Pacific has shown that these issues are present in our communities and a collective effort is required in the fight against this. The “Commercial Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Children in a Nutshell” is a resource designed to enhance the knowledge base on sexual exploitation and trafficking in the Pacific. It clarifies the worst forms of child labour concepts and relevant ILO and UN Conventions that deal with these issues and highlights the risk and vulnerability factors that we must guard against to protect our children.

Labour inspectorates and other inspecting authorities with a mandate to monitor labour and employment standards (e.g. the financial police) have emerged as possible actors that can contribute to national efforts to combat trafficking. Today these authorities are expected to play a key role in tackling trafficking for labour exploitation (see, e.g., GRETA 2016) and in fact, in many countries, they have become involved in anti-trafficking efforts to implement international obligations. This policy brief summarises key findings of research conducted within the DemandAT project that examined the role of selected authorities mandated to monitor labour and employment standards in addressing trafficking in five EU Member States.

This Note provides guidance for the assistance, protection and humanitarian diplomacy activities of Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in the Asia Pacific region in the context of labour migration and trafficking. The Note builds upon existing International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement policies, guidance and commitments relevant to migration and displacement. The Note also contains a collection of case studies of existing initiatives by Asia Pacific National Societies, demonstrating the strength and diversity of National Societies’ activities related to labour migration and trafficking. The Note is designed to support the existing initiatives of Asia Pacific National Societies, as well as provide guidance for those National Societies considering new initiatives in the context of labour migration and trafficking. The Note will be useful to National Societies across all departments - from leadership to migration, disaster management, health, shelter, Restoring Family Links (RFL), welfare and beyond.The note will also be useful for representatives from governments, regional institutions, academia, civil society organisations and United Nations (UN) agencies to deepen their understanding of the core mandate and strengths of Asia Pacific Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies in the context of labour migration and trafficking.

The course is structured to move from understanding and knowledge to action, with the vital intermediary stage of planning. It is organized into three textbooks (and a related exercise book): Textbook 1 covers understanding of child trafficking, and aims to cover the main concepts involved so that there is clarity and common understanding but also so that variations (for example national variations in legal definitions) can be shared and considered. It also includes facts and figures designed to give a ‘snapshot’ of child trafficking across the world, and looks at how statistics and data can be gathered and used so that such a snapshot is clear and usable. The final session in this book explores the people involved in anti-trafficking efforts. Once all this is covered, the group is ready to move on to plan effective action. Note that it is important to ensure that there is a smooth transition between this theoretical section and the action-oriented section that follows; the link is through National Action Plans (NAPs), which take all the theory/research/mapping/data and formulate them into a plan for action. It is important, throughout the course, to keep referencing policies and actions within the framework of the NAP (and other equivalent frameworks, including at local, regional and other levels). Textbook 2 will differ according to the course participants but is generally organized around the actions that can be taken by the various groups under four main headings: Broad protection of children/building a protective environment; prevention of the crime of trafficking; law enforcement; and victim assistance. The principal sectoral roles and responsibilities of each group are examined in more detail. For each topic, there is a generic section, followed by ‘GWEN’ – individual notes for Governments, Workers’ organizations, Employers’ organizations and NGOs/international organizations. It is useful, of course, for all participants to consider all the roles, but you will want to concentrate – depending on the participants in the course – on the specifics. For government representatives, for example, there is a focus on policy and action on social issues such as poverty reduction, education and youth employment, as well as important trafficking-specific policy areas like migration, recruitment and labour. For workers’ organizations, the focus is more obviously on workplace actions including monitoring and standards, reporting, combating discrimination and protecting migrant workers. Employers will look at some of these areas too, as well as social auditing, codes of conduct and sectoral agreements. NGOs, international agencies and civil society representatives will focus on their role in influencing and informing policy, and the kinds of direct assistance that can be implemented. Textbook 3 focuses on ‘matters of process’ to underline the message that not only what you do is important, but how you do it. It covers areas such as advocacy and mobilization, working with the media, building partnerships, child participation, monitoring and evaluation, and learning and sharing lessons. Throughout the course, the focus is on child trafficking as a violation of the rights of the child, and a worst form of child labour.

Trafficking in persons constitutes a grave crime against the individual. The absence of comprehensive data presents a major issue, including in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Many cases go unreported as victims are too afraid to testify, cannot escape exploitation, are expelled once identified or do not seek official protection. Trafficking in persons from refugee camps and shelters after disasters is also of concern. Trafficking does not only occur across international boundaries, but also internally.This background note presents an overview of concepts and trends on trafficking in persons in ACP countries. Innovative initiatives taken by ACP countries are highlighted as they provide example of best practices that may be of interest for various stakeholders.

Hundreds of thousands of children are associated with armed forces and armed groups in conflicts around the world. Girls and boys are used in a variety of ways from support roles, such as cooking or portering, to active fighting, laying mines or spying and girls are frequently used for sexual purposes. This recruitment and use of children violates their rights and causes them physical, developmental, emotional, mental, and spiritual harm. The recruitment and use of children by armed forces and armed groups has been a focus of international attention and has been widely condemned, yet children continue to be involved in adult wars and to become disabled or die in such conflicts. While the release and reintegration into civilian life of many of these children has been supported through interventions and programmes designed to assist them, others have returned home on their own, often to face an uncertain future and a further fight for acceptance from their family and community. Girls in particular are likely to be stigmatized and even rejected by their community if it is known that they have been used by an armed force or armed group and the rejection of their children may be even more severe. Other children are encouraged by their families and communities to participate in armed conflict, despite the danger and harm this involves. Despite their experiences, such children are resilient and can contribute constructively to reconstruction and reconciliation efforts if given appropriate help, support and encouragement.

While no government has a fully comprehensive response to modern slavery, all countries in the Europe and Central Asia region have either mantained or improved their response since the publication of the 2016 Global Slavery Index. Most notably, the Netherlands has retained its position as having the world's strongest response to modern slavery, taking the most steps of any nation to address the problem and, for the second consecutive time, being the only country anywhere to receive an "A" rating. The Netherlands national response is strong across indicators of victim support, criminal justice responses, and addressing risk, including society safety nets and protection for migrants, a feature missing in many countries of destination. Netherlands was closely followed by the United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden, Croatia, Spain, Norway, and Portugal, all of which took significant action against modern slavery in the previous two years.

The economic, geographic, and cultural diversity of Asia and the Pacific region is reflected in the varying prevalence and forms of modern slavery found across the region. In Asia and the Pacific, there are instances of debt bondage, including hereditary forms of bonded labour in South Asia, forced labour exists in migrant dominated sectors across the region, forced marriage persists, and state-imposed forced labour, while most commonly known to exist in North Korea, occurs in several countries within the region. The Asia and Pacific region is home to the two most populous countries in the world, India and China, as well as some of the least populous island nations, among them Tuvalu, Nauru and Palau.

The Arab States are currently both the source and recipient of the largest numbers of refugees and internally displaced people globally. As the region experiences conflict and resulting displacement – and given its position at the junction of migratory paths for Afghans, Sudanese, and Somalis fleeing conflicts in their homelands – vulnerability to modern slavery in the Arab States has sharply increased. An estimated 5.7 million refugees originated in the region since mid-2016 and 12 million people were displaced internally in Middle Eastern countries.This displacement, accompanied by severe economic decline, widespread violence and psychological distress, collapse of essential public services in many districts, and weak labour laws has contributed towards the vulnerability of refugees, internally displaced persons, minority groups, and ordinary citizens to trafficking and exploitation.