AU WATCH

About Us

Every individual shall have the right to the respect of the dignity inherent in a human being and to the recognition of his legal status. All forms of exploitation and degradation of man, particularly slavery, slave trade, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment shall be prohibited.

ARTICLE 5, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights

ABOUT US
Our Mission and Vision

Our Mission:

 

Our unit exist to bring an end to modern slavery by preventing exploitation, rescuing victims, restoring lives, and reforming society. We provide Awareness, Education and Active Support to promote a clearer understanding of the signs and dangers of Human Trafficking. We cannot do this alone and have built effective working relationships with other organisations who share our vision

We undertake research, litigation and action focused on preventing and ending modern day slavery and trafficking and within the context of our work to promote all human rights – civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights.

Our Vision:

 

To live in an Africa where everyone is free from all types of enslavement and where every African enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

We:

  • Provide targeted human trafficking training and education for prosecutors and law enforcement
  • Establish a dedicated integrated investigative team with the mandate to conduct proactive human trafficking investigations
  • Enhance intelligence collection coordination and collaboration
  • Promote training for front-line service providers
  • Support and develop new human trafficking awareness campaigns within Africa
  • Provide assistance to communities to identify people and places most at risk
  • Distribute awareness materials at African and high commissions abroad
  • Assist the African Commission strengthen protection systems within Africa

It was Archbishop Desmond Tutu who said: ‘If there is one abuse that offends our conscience in every way, it is the enslavement of a human being… No child should be born without hope; no person should live without freedom’.

Please read and watch how mica mined by kids in Madagascar ends up in products used by millions of Americans. This is unacceptable. NBC news unearths human rights abuse in Madagascar. Click here

We Publish the ‘Freedom Index’

 

Modern slavery and human trafficking in Africa are complex and often hidden crime that crosses borders, sectors, and jurisdictions. Many of the ‘Backway’ travellers who leave Sub-Saharan Africa enroute to Europe find themselves victims of a network of vicious traffickers involving para-military security forces, merchants and a host of hidden faces.
We believe that to put an end to this vicious trade a strong multifaceted approach is needed. This includes building a reliable knowledge base to inform action, driving legislative change in the continent and harnessing the power of the AU, its Recs, businesses and faith groups and other influential local actors. Through a combination of direct implementation, grassroots community engagement, and working in partnership with faiths, businesses, academics, NGOs, and governments around the world AU Watch is strongly convinced that we can end modern slavery.

Freedom Index

 

Modern slavery and human trafficking in Africa are complex and often hidden crime that crosses borders, sectors, and jurisdictions. Many of the ‘Backway’ travellers who leave Sub-Saharan Africa enroute to Europe find themselves victims of a network of vicious traffickers involving para-military security forces, merchants and a host of hidden faces.
We believe that to put an end to this vicious trade a strong multifaceted approach is needed. This includes building a reliable knowledge base to inform action, driving legislative change in the continent and harnessing the power of the AU, its Recs, businesses and faith groups and other influential local actors. Through a combination of direct implementation, grassroots community engagement, and working in partnership with faiths, businesses, academics, NGOs, and governments around the world AU Watch is strongly convinced that we can end modern slavery.

Freedom Lab

 

Our Freedom Lab, composed of a highly qualified research team from multiple disciplines,is collaborating with Legacy University in The Gambia to assess AU and AU Member States responses.

Interested in this prooject? Get in Touch