Australia’s Response to TIP
Australia has a strong history of supporting the ASEAN region to counter trafficking in persons.
Australia has partnered with ASEAN and ASEAN Member States for over 20 years to support counter-trafficking efforts, and this continues through ASEAN-ACT. Australia also is responding to TIP within Australia and the Asia Pacific region through a number of other initiatives.
Australia’s approach to combating human trafficking and modern slavery
The Australian Government is committed to stopping the crime of trafficking in persons and all forms of modern slavery, domestically, across the region and globally. The Australian Government is also taking a global leadership role in combating modern slavery.
Australia’s National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020-25 committed Australia to being a regional leader in combating human trafficking and slavery.
Australia’s international engagement strategy on human trafficking and modern slavery outlines the Australian Government’s engagement priority areas and strategic objectives to address this crime.
In 2018, the Australian parliament passed the Modern Slavery Act 2018. The Act requires large Australian businesses (and large foreign businesses operating in Australia) to identify, address and report on modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains. See Guidance for Reporting Entities for more information. On May 2023, the Australian Government tabled a report on the statutory review of the Act, with 30 recommendations to strengthen the Act.
International engagement
Australia’s Ambassador to Counter Modern Slavery, People Smuggling and Human Trafficking progresses Australia’s substantial regional and international efforts to combat human trafficking and modern slavery.
In the region, Australia co-chairs with Indonesia the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime (the Bali Process). ASEAN-ACT works closely with the Bali Process to support Australia’s regional counter-trafficking agenda.
History of Australia’s involvement
Asia Regional Cooperation to Prevent People Trafficking (ARCPPT) was the first Australian- funded program to work with the criminal justice sector specifically on trafficking in persons, and the first program to take a regional approach to the issue. Partner countries included Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand.
Asia Regional Trafficking in Persons (ARTIP) was a five year Australian-funded program that built on ARCPPT by expanding the countries that it worked with, and eventually working with all 10 ASEAN Member States. Its goal was to facilitate a more effective and coordinated regional approach to counter-trafficking.
The ARTIP – Transition program was initially scheduled for one year, but was later extended. Due to the transitional nature of the program and restricted funding, the program provided limited counter-trafficking assistance to ASEAN Member States.
The Australia–Asia Program to Combat Trafficking in Persons (AAPTIP) initially worked actively with Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. AAPTIP’s focus later transitioned to supporting bilateral and multilateral activities based on specific trafficking in persons cases, with an emphasis on improving cooperation during investigation and prosecution. AAPTIP also supported strengthening the criminal justice response to trafficking in persons in the region. One of the major achievements of this program was the technical and leadership support it gave to ASEAN and its Member States in the development of ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children and the Bohol Trafficking in Persons Workplan 2017-2020.
Drafting of the ASEAN Convention against Trafficking in
Persons, Especially Women and Children (ACTIP).
ASEAN leaders sign the ACTIP and associated plan of action.
ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime drafts the Bohol Trafficking in Persons Work Plan 2017–2020 for review by ASEAN sectoral bodies. AAPTIP supported the process.
ASEAN leaders sign the ACTIP and associated plan of action.
The Bohol Trafficking in Persons Work Plan
2017–2020 is finalised.