Working in partnership

Modern slavery is a complex crime. Government action is only part of the solution. Cooperation is important across government and with international partners, civil society, business, unions and academia to ensure a coordinated response to modern slavery.

Australia's response to modern slavery involves collaboration with:

• governments
• civil society
• business
• unions
• people who have experienced modern slavery
• academics
• the broader community
• international partners.

Partnering across government

Australian Government

A number of Australian Government agencies work together to prevent, disrupt, and investigate modern slavery crimes. They also support and protect people experiencing modern slavery, and conduct research and data collection to learn more about modern slavery in Australia. These agencies include, but are not limited to:

• Attorney-General's Department
• Australian Border Force
• Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
• Australian Federal Police
• Australian Institute of Criminology
• Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions
• Department of Education
• Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
• Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
• Department of Home Affairs
• Department of Social Services
• Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
• Fair Work Ombudsman.

Australian Government agencies also work to prevent modern slavery in their policies, supply chains, procurements and contracts.

State and territory governments

State and territory governments are responsible for areas that intersect with the Australian Government's strategy to combat modern slavery, including child protection, domestic violence, financial assistance to victims of crime, and any state-based modern slavery legislation. State and territory governments also play an important role in addressing modern slavery risks in the supply chains of Australia's good and services, and their frontline agencies are key partners in the identification and support of modern slavery victims and survivors in Australia.

Partnering with people with lived experience

Australia is committed to a collaborative response that increases participation of people with lived experience of modern slavery (this describes someone who has directly experienced modern slavery).

Developed closely with people with lived experience of modern slavery in Australia and internationally, the Modern Slavery Lived Experience Engagement and Empowerment guidance document aims to support organisations seeking to engage and empower people with lived experience of modern slavery in a safe and ethical manner, to help shape our responses to modern slavery. The document:

• explains the context of modern slavery lived experience engagement in Australia;
• provides guidance for organisations seeking to engage with people with lived experience to develop and/or strengthen their policies and programs; and
• reflects on options to support an uplift of engagement with and empowerment of people with lived experience across Australia.

Australia engages with people with lived experience to inform the design and review of policies, programs and laws in different ways. This includes through direct engagements between Australian Government agencies and the pilot Survivor Advisory Council. 
The Survivor Advisory Council was established by The Salvation Army as part of the Lived Experience Engagement Program, Government grant-funded project. The Lived Experience Engagement Program commenced in 2021 and is a starting point for people with lived experience of modern slavery who want support to connect with other survivors and learn ways to work together for positive change.

Civil society organisations and independent office holders with expertise in modern slavery and related areas also actively work with, employ, engage with, and empower people with lived experience as part of Australia's broader efforts to combat modern slavery. Civil society organisations have played a significant role in supporting engagement with people with lived experience of modern slavery, and in shaping how people experiencing modern slavery can access support.

Hear from members of the pilot Survivor Advisory Council in The Salvation Army's Nothing About Us Without Us - Lived Experience Engagement in Combatting Modern Slavery video.

Partnering with the Australian community and organisations

Civil society, business, unions, academia

Civil society organisations and unions often directly engage with individuals at risk of modern slavery and are uniquely placed to identify, engage and support victims and survivors.

Business and investors play a key role in combating modern slavery risks in global supply chains and operations, and enhancing Australia's response to modern slavery.

Academia and research professionals enable a better understanding of how and why modern slavery is occurring and provide evidence-based solutions to enhance Australia's response to modern slavery.

Since 2008, civil society, business, union, and government members of the National Roundtable on Human Trafficking and Slavery have helped to shape and inform Australia's response to modern slavery, as one of the many examples of partnering across sectors.

Australian community

Members of the Australian community can support awareness raising and help to identify people in modern slavery by knowing the warning signs and reporting suspected cases to the Australian Federal Police.

International partnerships

Australia works closely with international and regional partners to address modern slavery at home and overseas.

These efforts are led by the Ambassador to Counter Modern Slavery, People Smuggling and Human Trafficking and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. They include:

• Australia's role as Co-Chair, with Indonesia, of the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime – the key regional consultative forum for addressing human trafficking in the Asia-Pacific.
• The ASEAN-Australia Counter Trafficking Program, a 10-year, $80 million investment to continue Australia's long-running partnership with ASEAN and ASEAN Member States to counter human trafficking in our region (2018–2028).
• Australia's role as Asia-Pacific representative (and former inaugural chair) to the Alliance 8.7 Global Coordinating Group.
• Advocacy in the United Nations, including at the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly and through engagement with Special Rapporteur mandate holders.
• The TRIANGLE in ASEAN program, which promotes safe and legal migration in the region by providing information and services to migrant workers on their rights, and by supporting ASEAN countries and institutions to strengthen labour migration policies and legislation.
• Bilateral engagement, including supporting Thailand to establish its new Counter Trafficking in Persons Centre of Excellence, support to Pacific Island Countries to implement the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its protocols, and peer-to-peer technical assistance and capacity building.