Norway is committing 190 million kroner to fight modern slavery

Norway is allocating NOK 190 million over a period of four years to support civil society organizations fighting against modern slavery.

“Civil society has a vital role to play in achieving our goal of ending modern slavery. As part of the development program, we are allocating NOK 190 million over four years to support the work being done by civil society organizations in this area at the country level,” Minister of International Development Dag-Inge Ulstein said in a press release published in July.

At the time, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) issued a call for proposals for projects run by civil society organizations to combat modern slavery. 

The call primarily targeted projects in countries in sub-Saharan Africa that are partner countries in Norway’s development cooperation and are also pathfinder countries in Alliance 8.7. 

The aim of Alliance 8.7 is to end forced labor, modern slavery, and trafficking, ensure that the worst forms of child labor are banned and abolished, and abolish all forms of child labor by 2025.

The role of civil society

“Civil society plays an important role in monitoring human rights and holding the authorities and the business sector accountable for protecting and respecting human rights. 

“Civil society challenges power structures, influences policy and legislative reform, increases awareness and knowledge, and can prevent unethical recruitment,” Ulstein said in July.

The aim of the new development program will be to combat modern slavery, the press release noted. 

Under the program, funding will be available for UN organizations, research institutions, and international and Norwegian civil society organizations. 

The program will support projects that promote efforts by governments and the private sector to prevent, identify, and address modern slavery, and projects to increase the resilience of vulnerable groups and individuals against modern slavery.

“More than 40 million people worldwide are being subjected to some form of modern slavery today. The risk of becoming a victim of modern slavery is thought to have increased considerably during the coronavirus pandemic. 

“People who are already vulnerable will be hardest hit by the pandemic and the repercussions of infection control measures. I am therefore pleased that we are establishing a development program to end modern slavery,” Ulstein noted.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs