successes -- delivering change

Anti-Slavery International's work has produced real change. Throughout the last century, the organisation was involved in many successful campaigns, such as those to stop the abuse of rubber workers in the Belgian Congo and the use of child slaves - Mui Tsai - in Hong Kong. In the 21st century we continue to be closely involved in achieving progress in the fight against slavery:

• The United Nations’ decision to create a new Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Slavery in 2008, who will report directly to the UN Human Rights Council on measures that Governments need to take to tackle slavery practices in their respective countries.  This is the first new UN mechanism on slavery in over 30 years.
  
  
• Nepal (2002), Niger (2003), Brazil (2003) and Mauritania (2007) are some of the countries which have introduced or amended laws so that slavery practices are prohibited and properly punished. These reforms have led to the release of more than 100,000 people from slavery.
  
  
• In 2005, the United Arab Emirates recognised that some 3,000 children had been trafficked to the UAE to be used as camel jockeys and passed a law banning anyone under 18 from taking part in camel racing. The Government also provided UNICEF with US$2.7 million to assist these children to return to their homes. Qatar and Kuwait also passed laws prohibiting children under 18 from being camel jockeys.
  
  
• The UK has taken various measures to raise awareness of slavery issues and counter trafficking in people, including: introducing laws against trafficking for sexual and labour exploitation and funding support services for those affected (2004); the creation of a national slavery memorial day in the UK (from 23 August 2008); making it obligatory to teach the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the UK National Curriculum (from September 2008); and committing to ratify the Council of Europe Convention against trafficking (by the end of 2008).
  
  
• The approval of the Council of Europe Convention against trafficking in 2005 which is the first international standard to guarantee trafficked people minimum standards of protection and support.  This Convention came into force in February 2008 and has been signed or ratified by nearly 40 countries.
  
  
• In 2008 the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, in the united States of America, achieved a major victory in its Campaign for Fair Food after fast-food giant Burger King agreed to work with them to improve the wages and working conditions of those who pick its tomatoes.
  

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