Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role his Department plays in the prevention of human trafficking.

​The Government is committed to realising Sustainable Development Goal 8.7, the eradication of all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking by 2030, and has made tackling modern slavery and human trafficking a foreign policy priority.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office works closely with bilateral partners to counter modern slavery and human trafficking. For example, the UK has signed Memoranda of Understanding on aspects of combating modern slavery with Malta and the Philippines, and has contributed to the improved effectiveness of law enforcement authorities, including in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and the Philippines. In cooperation with other Government departments, the FCO supports a range of projects in this area, including on child labour, children in conflict, those working in the garment and construction industries, and safe migration. We also drive forward the fight against modern slavery and human trafficking in multilateral fora, including in the UN, Commonwealth, Council of Europe, and Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. The Call to Action to End Forced Labour, Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking launched by the UK at UNGA 2017 has now been endorsed by nearly 90 countries, showing a growing international consensus to tackle these heinous crimes. The Government wants to harness this momentum to deliver further tangible progress towards delivering SDG 8.7.