Commonwealth lawmakers to discuss roll-out of UK's Modern Slavery Act

Lawmakers will hold a special meeting to explore how the UK's Modern Slavery Act could be rolled out across the Commonwealth.

Experts hope to encourage the creation of laws to stamp out forced labour in all of the 52 Commonwealth nations.

Labour's Frank Field, who chaired the UK’s Modern Slavery Bill Evidence Review, said there was "a unique opportunity for countries like Britain to learn how other Commonwealth countries are combatting slavery".

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK announced on Thursday that it will gather politicians from across the Commonwealth in December to discuss how it could be done.

The Modern Slavery Act was the first dedicated piece of legislation of its kind in the world, bringing in a raft of measures including new powers to seize traffickers' assets as well as the creation of an anti-slavery commissioner for the UK.

The seminar will take place in the Houses of Parliament from 11th to 15th December and will bring together bill drafters from different Commonwealth nations to explore the development, drafting and amendment of modern slavery and human trafficking legislation.

Leading Nigerian anti-slavery campaigner R Evon Idahosa, whose voice features in a new animation made by CPA UK, said: “Modern slavery is a global pandemic that circumvents borders, gender, race and class in its mandate to consume human bodies, human rights and human dignity.

“Now is the time for all parliamentarians to collectively strengthen their resolve to interrupt this injustice and to amplify the voices of those silenced by this evil.”

Campaigners and the Evening Standard's special investigation into modern slavery have previously called for Commonwealth leaders to pledge greater action to fight the scourge, ahead of the next Commonwealth heads of government meeting in April 2018.

You can urge the Commonwealth to act on modern slavery at our dedicated action platform, made with anti-slavery advocates Freedom United.