Okail: Modern slavery is one of the continent’s worst challenges. The international convention on slavery should be activated.

Basha: It is a must to urge the countries to ratify the Forced Labor Protocol.

Afrasianet - On the anniversary of the International Day for the Abolition of slavery, the African Affairs Department of Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human rights, appeals to the international community to exert more efforts to combat all forms of modern slavery. The department further calls for raising awareness on the issues related to human trafficking, forced labor and sexual exploitation, especially since the largest proportion of those who are exploited, are emerging from the African continent.

In this regard, Maat foundation denounces the increasing rates of African victims more than 9 million persons; representing 23% of the 40 million people in the world. Furthermore, Maat expresses its concern over spreading the phenomenon of slavery outrageously in Eretria, Burundi, and Central Africa.

Ayman Okail, the president of Maat, declared that non- inclusion of modern slavery in the legal framework of the African countries, is the reason for persistence and proliferation of slavery in the Continent. Okail emphasized on the importance of executing the article 6 of the “international covenant on slavery” concerning the incorporation of penal legislation into its laws. He also stressed the need to apply articles 2, 5 and 8 of the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and institutions and Practices similar to Slavery.

Abdelrahman Basha, the researcher in the African Affairs department, said that the international day for the abolition of slavery is a very good opportunity to raise the public awareness on dangers of discrimination which based on slavery and all forms of exploitation. He also stressed on the essential confrontation of the widespread of forced labor and urged those countries that have not yet ratified to join "the Forced Labor Protocol".

Maat Foundation for Peace, Development and Human rights pays a special attention to African countries. As a member of the General Assembly of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union, and the Coordinator of the North Africa Region of the Group of Major NGOs in Africa of the United Nations High-level Political Forum.