UN expert on modern slavery to visit SL

UN expert on contemporary forms of slavery – Tom Obokata – will visit Sri Lanka from 26 November to 3 December.

During the visit, Obokata will examine the labour conditions in various economic sectors and systemic barriers that hamper access to decent work, the UN said. 

Obokata is a Japanese scholar of international law and human rights, specialising in transnational organised crime, human trafficking and modern slavery. He was appointed as the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences in March 2020. He currently serves as Professor of International Law and Human Rights at Keele University.

He has extensive experience of working on the issues of transnational crime, human trafficking and modern slavery with relevant stakeholders, including the UK Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights, the Northern Ireland Assembly All Party Group on Human Trafficking, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, the International Organisation for Migration and the European Union.