News: International Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Response

The International Social Justice Commission (ISJC) of The Salvation Army has recently published its International Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Response Annual Report.

In the report’s Foreword, Directors of the ISJC, Colonels Janet and Richard Munn, highlight The Salvation Army’s position as both a local and global organisation, well placed to address modern slavery and human trafficking at all levels.

‘The Salvation Army serves in 132 countries around the world, with national, regional and local leaders readily interconnected and well-informed on the multi-layers of human trafficking. We have influential advocates at strategic levels, and personnel at the neighbourhood level.’

The report outlines The Salvation Army’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT) response throughout 2021. During this time the global COVID-19 pandemic has continued, and the related lockdowns and travel restrictions have driven traffickers to move their criminal activity further underground and use technology to find and exploit victims. Additionally,

as governments, local authorities and nongovernmental organisations have had to adjust priorities in response to the pandemic, capacity to support trafficking victims has been reduced.

The report confirms that throughout a year of challenge and uncertainty, The Salvation Army continued to ‘“fight the good fight” with a co-ordinated, mobilised, dedicated army of practitioners, activists and, in some cases, survivors’.

Through eight focus areas The Salvation Army is working in 108 countries worldwide to holistically respond to MSHT. The focus areas are Prayer, Prevention, Participation, Protection, Prosecution, Partnership, Policy and Proof.

The Annual Report unpacks these focus areas and, through statistics and stories, highlights how the global Salvation Army has been working through each of them during 2021.

The report is available to read on the International Social Justice Commission website: https://www.salvationarmy.org/isjc

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