An appeal to donate to the U.N. Voluntary Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery has been made by the U.N., to all the nations, following the fact that the fund that helps people affected by slavery in the modern times is seriously depleted.
The fund was initiated by the General Assembly, 20 years ago, to support the organizations that help aid the victims of slavery in the modern times. These organizations have been providing all survival facilities, including housing, health-care, food, and social support to the victims. The various forms of modern slavery include child labor, forced labor, debt bondage and human trafficking.
The U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights declared that donations to the Slavery fund have decreased in the last few years. At present, there is only $400,000 available, in the fund, while it has received 436 grant applications this year.
Spokesperson Rupert Colville said, “With the present funds, only 6 percent of the projects requested will receive support.”
Almost 100,000 people are victims of slavery in the United States, and about 27 million people worldwide, as per the State Department figures reported in the New York Times. The Times stated, “These victims of human trafficking are vulnerable men, women or children coerced into servitude for sex or labor. They might be transported from Russia to Europe, from the Philippines to Dubai, or held in their hometown.”
Gulnara Shahinian, a U.N. expert on contemporary forms of slavery, said, “I have visited projects funded through grants provided to local actors and seen the tangible results. I have met survivors, heard their terrible stories and hopes and witnessed real change.” According to her, the fund has helped implement 400 projects that have helped thousands of slavery victims.
Navi Pillay, the U.N.’s high commissioner for human rights, said, “The Voluntary Fund has helped thousands break free from slavery and recover their lives – not through expensive projects, but through small grants to grass-roots initiatives.” She also said that in order to remove slavery, the roots causes of the problem will have to be eradicated; racism, discrimination, poverty being some of these main causes. According to her, even small contributions of $10,000 can prove to be very helpful in solving the problem of slavery.
This year is being celebrated as International Year for People of African Descent, to provide recognition to 200 million descendents of the trans-Atlantic slave trade. August 23 was celebrated as the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.
