PADF and the Brazilian Bar Association in Pará (OAB-PA) have signed a MOU to jointly implement activities to combat forced labor and human trafficking, promote access to rights and justice.
The agreement was signed by the president of the OAB-PA, Eduardo Imbiriba, and the president of the Forced Labor Commission, Ana Carolina Albuquerque. Regarding the partnership, Ana Carolina said that “the agreement represents, for us, a joining of forces to face the reality of forced labor in Pará”.
The organization hopes to deepen the work that they are already doing to improve the work of lawyers in the state in eradicating forced labor. “Having PADF on our side, bringing information, training, providing subsidies to improve the work of lawyers in the fight against slave labor, is very important at this time,” adds Ana Carolina.
At the signing, PADF presented the results of the Mapping Barriers to Adjudication Study, which demonstrates the difficulty that vulnerable workers and those rescued from forced labor have in accessing their rights and holding perpetrators accountable in Pará.
The president of the OAB’s Forced Labor Commission says that there are high expectations regarding the development of training courses to improve legal assistance to workers, based on a legal aid protocol that is being developed in partnership with PADF and the American Bar Association – Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI).
PADF’s technical director, Irina Bacci, recalled that all these initiatives are being carried out to improve access to justice for survivors of human trafficking and forced labor, one of the objectives of the Fair Work Program. Like other actions, such as the implementation of the Clinic to Combat Slave Labor at the Federal University of Pará (CTTE-UFPA). “We are strengthening the capacities of those who work in the state’s legal system to protect workers,” said Irina.
The Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) believes in creating a hemisphere of opportunity for all people. We work throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to make our region stronger, healthier, more peaceful, just, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable for current and future generations. For more than 60 years, we have served the most vulnerable communities, investing resources throughout the hemisphere. We work in partnership with civil society, governments, and the private sector for the good of the region.
Camila Payan
Thematic Senior Director – Democracy, Governance, and Human Rights
Email: connect@padf.org
