Freedom in the Air Project gains support from four entities in the air sector
Brazilian Airlines Association (ABEAR), the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Board of Representatives of International Airlines of Brazil (JURCAIB) strengthen awareness initiative on the risks of human trafficking and slave labor
Brasília – The Freedom in the Air Project, which warns about the risks of trafficking in people and slave labor, gained support from the Brazilian Airline Association (ABEAR), the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Board of Representatives of International Airlines of Brazil (JURCAIB). The initiative of the Public Ministry of Labor (MPT) consists of partnerships with airports, bus terminals, companies in the sector and public authorities so that awareness videos are shown about the dangers involving false promises. In addition, the project encourages the training of airport employees on the subject.
In an official letter sent to the MPT, the entities affirm that it is extremely important to support the project, as the initiative is “in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, the Additional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime Concerning the Prevention, Suppression and Punishment of Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, adopted in New York on November 15, 2000 (Palermo Protocol), ratified by the Brazilian State (Decree No. 5.017/2004), and with the Plans Nationals for the Eradication of Slave Labor and Human Trafficking”.
Initiative
“Freedom in the Air” was inspired by the story of the American flight attendant Shelia Fedrick, who saved a girl who was a victim of human trafficking in 2011 after suspecting the way her companion treated her during an Alaska Airlines flight between Seattle and San Francisco, in the United States. The Liberdade no Ar actions were coordinated by the project manager, Andrea Gondim, and by the deputy manager Cristiane Sbalqueiro. Among other entities, the project partners are the International Labor Organization (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
See this release from UNODC The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime
“Vienna (Austria) 2 September 2020 –
For most people, getting on a plane means the start of a new adventure. They are heading for a holiday, a reunion with friends or family or embarking on a business trip.
But domestic and international air transportation is also a method used by human traffickers to transfer people to the cities and countries where they will be exploited for profit.
Airline and airport staff have a key role to play in detecting potential cases of trafficking, assisting the victims and aiding investigations, which could lead to the dismantling of the criminal networks involved or the conviction of the main perpetrators.
“It’s essential to raise awareness of human trafficking among flight attendants, ground staff at airports and passengers,” says Andrea da Rocha Carvalho Gondim, a Labour Prosecutor from Brazil’s Public Prosecutors Office.
To achieve this goal, Brazil, together with UNODC and other partners, has launched the “Freedom in the Air” (Liberdade No Ar) initiative. …”
