Slavery: not a thing of the past

Today is International Human Rights Day, which is commemorated every year on 10 December since 1950. It is a good chance to reflect on the many human rights problems that remain across the globe. And also to consider what further action we can take to tackle them. The UK has been especially active this year in the fight for more wide spread and better honoured human rights around the world.

In June the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict took place in the British capital. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó was there and addressed the forum on behalf of Hungary. In July the Girl Summit, aiming to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) was also hosted in London. And, as I type, my colleagues are getting ready for the opening of the Global Summit to Tackle Online Child Sexual Exploitation. Again, there will be a delegation from Hungary taking active part.

But last week another conference was organised in London by the name of Santa Marta. It was a unique forum dedicated to the eradication of Modern Slavery across the globe. Hungary too was amongst the 33 attending countries.

As much as we’d like to think that slavery is just a thing of the past there remain 35.8 million slaves in the world according to the Walk Free Foundation. Some are sold or betrayed by loved ones, others duped, tricked or lured by criminals with promises of a better life.  Stripped of their freedom, exploited for profit, victims often endure violence, rape, hunger, and abuse. For all, the emotional, psychological and physical damage is incalculable. And the problem is global, it knows no borders. In Hungary, organised criminals have sought to traffic women and men to the UK, where their victims face enforced work as prostitutes or in labour gangs.

With the support of our Embassy, law enforcement bodies of the UK and Hungary work very closely together to tackle the problem and to investigate and prosecute those who mislead, mistreat and exploit young Hungarians. To assist in their work, I accompanied detectives from both countries to their visits to victims and I was shocked and horrified to see just how far some people were willing to go just to earn a few thousand pounds from others’ exploitation and misery. Thanks to their dedicated work as well as exemplary cooperation, British and Hungarian police captured and put behind bars a number of perpetrators and helped the lives of dozens of victims.

This is good news but unfortunately there is still plenty to be done. We will remain committed to help and support the work of both countries’ law enforcement and I hope we get to celebrate many more positive results at next year’s Human Rights Day in London and around the world.