Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) is providing pro bono legal advice to The Office of Theresa May on establishing the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, a groundbreaking initiative with a cross-departmental team advising.

The Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking is an international initiative led by Rt Hon Theresa May MP to exert high-level political leverage to restore political momentum towards achieving UN SDG 8.7 to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking.

With the first meeting of Commissioners taking place yesterday (05 October), the Commission aims to help eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking in three ways:

• Providing high-level political leadership;
• Building knowledge to ensure global efforts on modern slavery and human trafficking are better connected to the production of research and evidence;
• Promoting and facilitating international collaborations and partnerships between states, multilateral organisations, civil society, business, researchers and people with lived experience, as well as between the global, regional and national levels.

A pro-bono, cross-departmental team at Freshfields led by partner Ali Kirby-Harris collaborated to advise on multiple aspects of the organisation’s establishment, including corporate law, research, privacy, contracts, design and IT.

Commenting on the initiative, Ali Kirby-Harris said: “It’s been a privilege to advise our client over the last year and help bring to fruition the establishment of the Global Commission, which will strengthen international collaborations on modern slavery and human trafficking and be inclusive of new voices outside the modern slavery sector.”