e) NGOs and other members of civil society

All civil society actors are valuable in the fight against human trafficking. The need to collaborate with civil society is recognized in the main international instruments against trafficking in persons: article 6 of the Palermo Protocol and even more so in articles 5, 12 and especially 25 of the Council of Europe Convention (Warsaw Convention). The latter article is specifically dedicated to cooperation between States and members of civil society, which is essential “in order to establish strategic partnerships to achieve the goals of this Convention”.

Indeed, civil society is an important ally:

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are major actors in the fight against trafficking. They are involved in raising awareness about the phenomenon as well as in the early detection of victims and their protection. They can provide a strong link between trafficking survivors and law enforcement and judicial services. Because of their proximity to vulnerable populations, NGOs gather information on trafficking activities, support rescue and arrest operations, conduct detection interviews, provide protection and support to victims, assist them in their relationship with the judicial system, etc. There are many NGOs involved in the fight against trafficking, human rights NGOs, humanitarian NGOs and even NGOs specializing in modern slavery or trafficking:
At the international level: Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International, la Strada International, ECPAT, etc.
And at the national level: the Committee against Modern Slavery (CCEM) which fights against trafficking and provides assistance to victims in France while denouncing these situations all over the world, PAG-ASA in Belgium, ACT212 (Consultation and training center against human trafficking and sexual exploitation) and ASTREE in Switzerland.

NGO networks can also play an important role, particularly through advocacy and to overcome governmental difficulties. In France, for example, the Collective “Ensemble contre la traite des êtres humains” (Together against human trafficking) gathers 28 associations to fight together against this scourge, by carrying out training and awareness-raising actions, implement measures to protect victims, etc.

Local communities and diasporas, through the connection and proximity of their members, need to be sensitized to the reality of human trafficking in order to participate in the detection of and support for potential victims. Trafficking survivors may feel more confident and comfortable with members of their community.

Worker Unions are actively engaged in combating labor exploitation: they inform workers of their rights (publication of brochures containing information on workers’ rights – especially foreign workers – in several languages), conduct awareness-raising activities, intervene in the field, identify cases of labor exploitation, and cooperate with other actors such as the police, tax authorities, and the tax department, with whom they conduct joint inspections of workplaces. Trade union representatives are gradually being trained to recognize indicators of trafficking: they have the right to enter workplaces, to ask to inspect work-related documents and to bring cases of violation of collective agreements before the labor court.

Education for Justice – Academic Module Series, Trafficking in Persons and Migrant Smuggling, Module 10: The Role of Civil Society in Combating Trafficking in Persons, UNODC, Vienna, 2019, p. 11

Compendium of Good Practices on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings for Labour Exploitation, Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA) – Council of Europe p. 26