NATIONALNATIONAL ACTIONACTION PLANPLAN TOTO COMBATCOMBAT MODERNMODERN SLAVERYSLAVERY 2020–252021–25 © Commonwealth of Australia 2020 With the exception of the Coat of Arms and where otherwise stated, all material presented in this publication is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence at www.creativecommons.org/licenses This means this license only applies to material as set out in this document. The details of the relevant license conditions are available on the Creative Commons website as is the full legal code for the CC BY 4.0 license at www. creativecommons.org/licenses Use of the Coat of Arms The terms under which the Coat of Arms can be used are detailed on the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet website: www.dpmc.gov.au/government/commonwealth-coat-arms DEDICATION The National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020–25 (National Action Plan) is dedicated to all who have experienced and survived the egregious forms of exploitation we call modern slavery. The National Action Plan is also dedicated to the people and organisations who work tirelessly to prevent modern slavery, and to support victims and survivors of modern slavery seeking to rebuild their lives. National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020–25 1 THE PLAN AT A GLANCE VISION We are committed to a future where no one is subjected to modern slavery and the human rights of all people are valued equally. We must respond We must address We must maintain We must provide to modern slavery the unique needs a strong deterrence holistic, gender- in a manner that of women and framework sensitive, culturally is comprehensive, children, who are which promotes responsive, trauma- effective, timely, disproportionately investigations, informed, victim coordinated and affected by modern prosecutions and centred protection consistent with slavery. the enforcement of and support to PRINCIPLES our international civil sanctions, and all victims and obligations. penalises offenders survivors of modern to the full extent of slavery. the law. PREVENT DISRUPT, INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE NATIONAL Implement prevention activities that STRATEGIC combat the drivers of modern slavery and Identify victims and survivors, implement empower individuals and groups that are disruption strategies, and deter perpetrators PRIORITIES vulnerable to modern slavery. by holding them to account through effective investigations and prosecutions. Vulnerable communities and Justice responses are The rights of victims and individuals in Australia and effective and perpetrators survivors, particularly women WHERE WE in global supply chains are are held to account. and girls, are protected WANT TO BE safer and protected from and promoted. modern slavery crimes. 2 MISSION We work to actively prevent and combat all forms of modern slavery, wherever it occurs, including by supporting, protecting and empowering victims and survivors. We must afford We must promote We must strive to be We must promote We must ensure the victims and survivors a collaborative an international and an evidence-based voices of victims and of modern slavery response that regional leader and response to modern survivors of modern access to effective is built on the partner in deterring slavery and its slavery, particularly remedies. participation of and combating root causes and women and children, victims and survivors modern slavery, and drivers, to build our inform our responses of modern slavery, work cooperatively understanding of to modern slavery. government, civil with other modern slavery and society, business, governments both how to prevent it. unions, academia internationally and and the broader regionally towards community working this end. in partnership to prevent and combat modern slavery. SUPPORT AND PROTECT PARTNER RESEARCH Provide holistic and tailored Collaborate across government Strengthen data collection victim centred support and and with international partners, practices to build the evidence protection that meets the needs civil society, business, unions and base to support our response of victims and survivors. academia to ensure a coordinated to modern slavery. response to modern slavery. Victims, survivors and Victims and survivors Australia is an Australia makes a their families and are empowered to rebuild international and regional significant contribution to communities are supported. their lives. leader driving collaborative the understanding of the responses to modern drivers of modern slavery slavery, including human and effective responses to trafficking. these crimes. National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020–25 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Australian Government acknowledges the traditional owners of country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures, and to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge the victims and survivors of modern slavery. Your voices have shaped this National Action Plan. Through this National Action Plan, we will prioritise your empowerment and focus on strengthening your voices as we work together to prevent modern slavery in Australia. We also acknowledge the civil society organisations, peak bodies, businesses, unions, academics and government agencies that contributed to the development of the National Action Plan. This includes members of the National Roundtable on Human Trafficking and Slavery and the Government’s Interdepartmental Committee on Human Trafficking and Slavery. Combating modern slavery requires a whole-of-community response. While this National Action Plan outlines Government priorities and activities, we acknowledge the unique and important roles that state and territory governments, civil society organisations, peak bodies, business, unions, and academics all play. SUPPORT Help is available for any person experiencing, or at risk of, modern slavery. If you have immediate concerns for your safety, the safety of another person, or there is an emergency, dial Triple Zero (000). You can also contact the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on 131 237 (131AFP) or go to the AFP website at www.afp.gov.au for help. The AFP can keep you safe, provide advice and refer you to other services that provide accommodation, financial support, counselling, and legal and immigration advice. If you are in, or at risk of, forced marriage, you can contact My Blue Sky, Australia’s national forced marriage service. Call (02) 9514 8115, text +61 481 070 844 (9am–5pm Monday to Friday), email [email protected] or visit www.mybluesky.org.au for support and free, confidential legal advice. Free interpreter services are available to help any person communicate with service providers in their own language. Call Translating and Interpreting Service on 131 450. All calls are free and confidential. 4 CONTENTS FOREWORD 6 TERMINOLOGY 7 ABBREVIATIONS 7 1. THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY 8 2. WHAT IS MODERN SLAVERY? 9 The different forms of modern slavery 9 Who can identify modern slavery? 11 What are the causes of modern slavery? 11 Ongoing and emerging challenges 12 Modern slavery in Australia 13 3. NATIONAL ACTION PLAN 18 The National Action Plan 18 Five strategic priorities 19 How we got here 19 Related plans and frameworks 19 Principles 20 National strategic priority 1: Prevent 22 National strategic priority 2: Disrupt, investigate and prosecute 24 National strategic priority 3: Support and protect 26 National strategic priority 4: Partner 28 National strategic priority 5: Research 30 4. WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP 32 Whole-of-community response 32 5. MONITORING AND MEASURING PROGRESS 34 Monitoring and measuring progress 34 New measures 34 Where we want to be 34 6. BUILDING ON AUSTRALIA’S RESPONSE 35 A snapshot of existing efforts 35 Legislative framework 36 7. INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT 38 APPENDIX A: PRACTICES RELATED TO MODERN SLAVERY 40 APPENDIX B: CRIMINAL CODE PROVISIONS 42 APPENDIX C: INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORKS 44 ENDNOTES 45 National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020–25 5 FOREWORD We are pleased to present Australia’s National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020–25. The National Action Plan sets the strategic direction of our work to combat modern slavery in Australia over the next five years. Modern slavery is a devastating crime that exploits the most vulnerable in our communities. It is a crime that sees women, men and children deprived of their freedom and robbed of their rights. Modern slavery also taints the global supply chains of the goods and services we purchase everyday. The United Nations estimates that over 40 million people are trapped in modern slavery, including 16 million in private sector supply chains. Australia is not immune. There were an estimated 1,900 victims and survivors of modern slavery between 2015 and 2017 alone, with 83 per cent being women and girls. Modern slavery has no place in our society. This is why we have been relentless in our opposition to these grave violations of human rights through implementing a strong program of initiatives to combat modern slavery in Australia and abroad. While we have made significant progress, there is still more work to be done. Under this National Action Plan, we will implement a strategic program of initiatives to prevent, disrupt, investigate and prosecute modern slavery crimes. We will support and protect victims and survivors, and further our understanding of modern slavery through enhanced research and data collection. We will do this in partnership