UNU-CPR is an active player in global discussions that seek the recognition and promotion of human rights and sustainable development, looking particularly at Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 (on modern slavery, human trafficking, forced labour and child labour), migration governance and vulnerable populations. COVID-19 has exacerbated the risks of human rights abuses worldwide, further highlighting the need for evidence-based approaches to policymaking that will ensure that human rights are at the heart of the sustainable development agenda.

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking

Modern slavery and human trafficking affect around 40 million people. In 2015, UN Member States committed to take immediate and effective measures to end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking by 2030, and the worst forms of child labour by 2025. This is Target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the starting point for UNU-CPR’s work on these issues. Our programming aims to become a leading global knowledge resource for the anti-slavery community, with a particular emphasis on connecting anti-slavery research to policy. We will foster research innovation to accelerate understanding of what works to achieve Target 8.7, and partner with like-minded organizations to accelerate and scale anti-slavery efforts.

Migration Governance

UNU-CPR has a long track record of impact on migration governance. UNU chaired the UN’s Global Migration Group (GMG) – a UN inter-agency group working to support the intergovernmental process leading to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration – in 2017. UNU-CPR supported debates and discussions on international migration within the UN system and by its Member States by providing timely evidence-based policy options and recommendations. A major focus of that work was to engage closely with the UN membership to tackle global migration challenges more effectively, to assist in achieving the compact that was later signed in December 2018. UNU-CPR convened a wide range of events, panels and strategic retreats during this period. Drawing on substantial internal expertise, as well as by drawing on the UN Migration and UNU Migration Network, UNU-CPR continues to focus on migration and vulnerable populations, particularly on evidence-based approaches at the local and regional levels.

Ongoing Projects

• Delta 8.7
• Liechtenstein Initiative for Finance Against Slavery & Trafficking
• Developing Freedom
• The Impact of COVID-19 on Humanitarian Access

Recent Projects

• Surges and Swarms: A Conversation on Responsible Coverage of Migration (2018)
• 25 Keys to Unlock the Financial Chains of Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery (2017)

Recent News

• New Collaboration in the Global Effort to Fight Modern Slavery
• New Research Sheds Light on ODA to Address SDG Target 8.7