Climate-Induced Migration and Modern Slavery: Panel Discussion

Panel discussion: How is climate-induced migration creating vulnerability to modern slavery and what are the solutions?

Climate change is devastating the planet, leading to intensifying global inequality as well as disputes over land, water and scarce resources. People are being driven to migrate within and across borders in search of resources and income, making them vulnerable to human trafficking and modern slavery, including forced labour.

A new report from Anti-Slavery International and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) is among the first to outline the critical link between climate-induced migration and modern slavery. This ground-breaking report provides important new evidence to inform the UNFCCC Conference (COP26) and high-level bodies such as the World Bank and UN on the need to address climate change as a factor of modern slavery.

This high level panel launch event will feature discussion from experts on modern slavery and climate change as well as real life experiences of forced labour.

Co-Chairs:

Jasmine O’Connor OBE, CEO Anti-Slavery International
Clare Shakya, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), Director, Climate Change

Keynote Speakers:

Cecilia Silva Bernardo, Climate negotiator for Angola and for the LDCs and co-chair of the Adaptation Committee of the UNFCCC
Felipe González Morales, UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants

Panellists:

Ritu Bharadwaj, Senior Researcher, Climate Change Group, International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
Somnath Hazra, Consultant Economist and visiting Faculty, Jadavpur University, West Bengal, India
Enock Pufaa, Researcher and Community Engagement Officer, Challenging Heights, Ghana
Fran Witt, Climate Change and Modern Slavery Advisor, Anti-Slavery International