WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., praised committee passage of legislation he co-sponsored to help eliminate modern slavery and human trafficking around the globe.

Even though slavery is illegal across the world, there are an estimated 27 million people who are caught in this multi-billion dollar, illicit industry. Human trafficking and modern slavery exist in more than 165 countries, including the United States, and while steps have been taken to combat this evil, more work lies ahead. 

The End Modern Slavery Initiative Act of 2015 passed today out of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, on which Isakson serves, following productive hearings on the subject. The bill would establish a private, non-profit grant-making institution, which would fund programs outside the United States that will help recover victims, prevent slavery, and enforce laws to punish individual and corporate offenders of modern slavery.

“Modern-day slavery in all its forms must be stopped,” Isakson said. “I hope the Senate will act quickly to pass this important legislation, because U.S. leadership is essential for this movement to grow.”

The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Robert Menendez, D-N.J., and will charter a 501(c)(3) non-profit grant-making foundation in the District of Columbia to be named “The End Modern Slavery Initiative Foundation.”

The initiative will fund programs outside the United States that:

• Contribute to the freeing and sustainable recovery of victims of modern slavery, prevent individuals from being enslaved, and enforce laws to punish individual and corporate perpetrators of modern slavery;
• Set out clear, defined goals and outcomes that can be empirically measured; and
• Achieve a measurable 50 percent reduction of modern slavery in targeted populations.

The U.S. contribution of $251 million over eight years will be used to raise a total of $1.5 billion, leveraging contributions from both the private sector and foreign governments. For the Foundation to receive all of the authorized U.S. government funds, $500 million would need to be obtained from foreign governments, $250 million from the private sector, and the remaining $500 million would be raised from private contributions by the Foundation. Projects that fail to meet goals will be suspended or terminated.

Isakson participated in this week’s #EndItMovement to enhance awareness of modern slavery and also praised Rotary International for their commitment to ending this terrible injustice.
 

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