Sharing Good Practices in Protection of Workers and Victims of Modern Slavery During the COVID-19 Pandemic

分享在 COVID-19 大流行期间保护工人和现代奴隶制受害者的良好做法

• 批准号: AH/V008412/1
• 负责人: Tomoya Obokata
• 金额: $ 8.05万
• 依托单位: Keele University
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2020 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=AH%2FV008412%2F1
• 关键词: Sharing; Good; Practices; Protection; Workers

The main objective of this project is to conduct evidence-based research on the key impacts of COVID-19 on modern slavery and identify/share good practices in protecting workers and victims of modern slavery in order to facilitate a victim-centred approach. The pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to the protection and promotion of human rights, and its impact on modern slavery is no exception. For instance, it has made a large number of workers across the world unemployed because of the closure of businesses, and this may be encouraging them to seek employment in informal or even illegal economies which are rife with exploitation. For those businesses which have seen an increase in the labour demand (such as agriculture, food production/processing, and manufacturing of medicines and medical equipment), the pandemic may give strong incentive for them to exploit vulnerable individuals. In addition, States are shifting their resources to fighting the pandemic, with the result that anti-slavery efforts may be undermined and those already caught in slavery, forced labour and other slave-like practices are left unidentified and unprotected. At this moment, however, actual impacts are yet to be examined thoroughly as the situation is still evolving and things remain speculative, leaving a number of important questions. For instance, the extent to which unemployment is actually pushing people into slavery and forced labour is not entirely clear. Also, while an increase in demand for labour in certain sectors may give strong incentives for businesses to exploit vulnerable individuals, a clear global trend is yet to be established in this regard. In addition, a question remains as to how the reallocation of States' resources from anti-slavery efforts is contributing to further victimisation of people already held in slavery and forced labour. Finally, there are additional questions in relation to protection measures: Do they address the key impacts of COVID-19 sufficiently? Is protection tailored to address the specific needs of particularly vulnerable populations such as women, children and young people and minorities? Can they be accessed by all workers without discrimination? What are practical difficulties in implementing them? The project aims to answer these questions and fill the existing knowledge gaps. The team will conduct research on the key impacts of the pandemic on modern slavery. It will then identify and assess the appropriateness and effectiveness of measures designed to protect workers and victims of modern slavery with a view to sharing them widely among relevant governmental, civil society, inter-governmental and private stakeholders. Finally, in order to promote a victim centred approach, the team will create "Guiding Principles on Actions against Modern Slavery during the State of Emergency" containing important human rights norms and principles to be upheld by governmental and non-governmental stakeholders. In terms of research methods, the team will employ desktop research of materials already available in public domain, such as reports and literature published by scholars, governments, NGOs, international organisations and other stakeholders. This will be complemented by virtual interviews to be conducted with stakeholders located around the world, allowing the team to triangulate and verify desktop research. At the end of the project, a project report containing an analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on modern slavery, good practices in protection of workers and victims of modern slavery, and the Guiding Principles on Actions against Modern Slavery during the State of Emergency, will be produced. The report will be launched at dissemination events in London and Geneva, and team will also promote long-term impact through knowledge transfer and public engagement globally.

该项目的主要目标是就COVID-19对现代奴隶制的主要影响进行循证研究，并确定/分享保护工人和现代奴隶制受害者的良好做法，以促进以受害者为中心的方法。这一流行病对保护和促进人权构成了前所未有的挑战，它对现代奴隶制的影响也不例外。例如，全球化使世界各地大量工人因企业倒闭而失业，这可能鼓励他们在充斥着剥削的非正规甚至非法经济中寻找就业机会。对于那些劳动力需求增加的企业（如农业、食品生产/加工、药品和医疗设备制造），疫情可能会强烈刺激他们剥削弱势群体。此外，各国正在将其资源转用于防治这一流行病，其结果是，反奴隶制的努力可能会受到破坏，那些已经陷入奴隶制、强迫劳动和其他类似奴隶制做法的人可能无法识别和得不到保护。然而，目前还没有彻底审查实际影响，因为情况仍在演变，事情仍处于猜测状态，留下了一些重要问题。例如，失业实际上在多大程度上将人们推向奴役和强迫劳动并不完全清楚。此外，虽然某些部门对劳动力需求的增加可能会强烈刺激企业剥削弱势个人，但在这方面尚未形成明确的全球趋势。此外，还有一个问题是，重新分配国家用于反奴隶制努力的资源如何有助于进一步使已经被奴役和强迫劳动的人重新融入社会。最后，还有一些与保护措施有关的问题：它们是否充分应对了COVID-19的关键影响？保护是否针对妇女、儿童和青年以及少数群体等特别脆弱群体的具体需要？所有工人都能不受歧视地获得这些服务吗？在执行方面有哪些实际困难？该项目旨在回答这些问题并填补现有的知识空白。该小组将研究这一流行病对现代奴隶制的主要影响。然后，它将确定和评估旨在保护工人和现代奴隶制受害者的措施的适当性和有效性，以便在相关政府、民间社会、政府间和私人利益攸关方之间广泛分享这些措施。最后，为了促进以受害者为中心的方针，该小组将制定“紧急状态期间反对现代奴隶制行动指导原则”，其中载有政府和非政府利益攸关方应坚持的重要人权规范和原则。在研究方法方面，研究小组将利用公共领域已有的材料进行桌面研究，例如学者、政府、非政府组织、国际组织和其他利益相关者发表的报告和文献。与此同时，还将与世界各地的利益攸关方进行虚拟访谈，使小组能够对桌面研究进行三角测量和核实。在项目结束时，将编写一份项目报告，其中分析COVID-19对现代奴隶制的影响、保护工人和现代奴隶制受害者的良好做法，以及《紧急状态期间反对现代奴隶制行动指导原则》。该报告将在伦敦和日内瓦的传播活动中发布，团队还将通过知识转让和全球公众参与促进长期影响。