Interactive Dialogue with SR Slavery

17 September 2021

Australian Statement

Australia thanks the Special Rapporteur for his presentation and welcomes his report identifying factors that render displaced persons vulnerable to slavery.

Addressing the drivers of slavery,  including displacement, gender and income inequality, lack of access to education, and limited human rights protections, requires both comprehensive national approaches and international partnerships.

Australia’s National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020-25 provides a strategic framework for our whole-of-government response to modern slavery, which includes a focus on prevention by combatting such drivers of slavery. Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018 is also a key to this prevention work, as it aims to drive change in business behaviours and remove the drivers of contemporary forms of slavery from global supply chains by increasing supply chain transparency and public accountability.

Australia also builds on these domestic efforts by strengthening global and regional instruments and institutions.

Through humanitarian assistance, Australia reduces vulnerability to slavery by supporting the protection of refugees and internally displaced people.

We would welcome the Special Rapporteur’s views on strategies to best harness the work of global partnerships in the fight against slavery.

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