From Protocol to Practice: A Bridge to Global Action on Forced Labor

The Government has taken a number of legal and institutional steps in response. Agencies have been created with responsibility for elaborating and implementing action plans but the necessary resources and inter-Ministerial coordination are inadequate. In addition, the influential Association of Traditional Chiefs and some NGOs actively campaign against forced labour practices. However, there is a lack of capacity to make a big difference. The political will is there but the means are not. Activities in Niger would contribute to all five Intermediate Objectives of the project, focusing in particular on a) raising awareness of the forced labour Protocol and measures against forced labour, especially in rural areas where traditional forms of slavery continue unquestioned, b) building the capacity of the government at national and local levels to implement forced labour laws and combat traditional practices of slavery, c) offering improved livelihoods to former forced labourers in order to reduce their dependency on their former masters. Gender and SDG 8.7 would be cross-cutting elements. Research would provide an evidence base for directing policy and implementation, and for sharing good practices with Mauritania, another Bridge Project priority country that shares a number of similar challenges.

Project symbol

NER/17/50/USA

Admin unit

CO-Abidjan

Start date

30/09/2015

End date

31/07/2023

Total allocation

1753939

Total expenditure

Status

Closed

1753939

Development Partners

USA, United States Department of Labor, Bureau for International Labor Affairs, Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor and Human Trafficking

Country/Countries

Niger

Outcomes

Outcome 7: Adequate and effective protection at work for all