News
Global

IOM Hosts Strategic Planning Workshop of Alliance 8.7 Migration Action Group

Geneva – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) facilitated a two-day planning workshop of the Migration Action Group from 29 to 30 November, in collaboration with UNICEF, ILO and the Walk Free Foundation.

The workshop, which gathered 30 participants representing UN agencies, NGOs, trade unions, employers’ groups, coalitions, governments, academics and think tanks, provided a forum for stakeholders to strategize on how to tackle the issues addressed under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Target 8.7 – the elimination of forced labour, modern slavery, human trafficking and all forms of child labour.

Participants exchanged perspectives, practices and priorities for advancing the objectives of Alliance 8.7 – a global initiative committed to achieving Target 8.7 – by providing a platform for partners to share information and best practices, and to demonstrate progress. Focusing specifically on migration, partners discussed ways to maximize unique institutional advantages and combine efforts to achieve the ambitious commitments of Target 8.7.

To establish a work plan through which practical activities can be supported at global, regional, and country levels, the workshop covered the following components:

  • An overview of Alliance 8.7 to date, with the evolution of thematic action groups and concept of Pathfinder Countries;
  • Presentation of findings from the research into migrant vulnerabilities through the lens of crime prevention, undertaken by the Walk Free Foundation during 2018;
  • Presentation of key findings from a desk review of child labour in the context of migration;
  • Discussions on recommendations for policy as well as support to practical implementation;
  • Prioritizing key activities and a subsequent research agenda.

“I am excited to be engaged in this initiative as this is the kind of evidenced-based, coordinated and multi sectorial approach that the will lead to impactful change,” said Anh Nguyen, Head of IOM’s Migrant Protection and Assistance Division, after the event.

A representative from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) highlighted the need for robust research and evidence. He stated: “The UK is determined to see an end to modern slavery in all its forms.  In order to reach SDG Target 8.7, we need to understand individuals’ vulnerabilities to and structural drivers of forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking, and ‘what works’ to address them.”

The workshop was organized under the DFID-funded project Advancing the Alliance 8.7 Action Group on Migration. Thematic Action Groups were established under the Alliance to ensure targeted, specialized expertise would be dedicated to addressing issues of modern slavery, trafficking, forced labour and child labour.

The Migration Action Group, co-chaired by IOM and UNICEF, consists of over 50 organizations who are also partners to the Alliance.

For more information, please contact Andria Kenney at IOM Geneva, Tel: +41 22 717 9744, Email: aekenney@iom.int