Corker lauds UK’s $25M investment in Global Fund to End Modern Slavery

The United Kingdom on Tuesday agreed to match a $25 million contribution from the United States to establish the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery (GFEMS), an initiative led by U.S. Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) to eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking.

Established under Corker’s End Modern Slavery Initiative Act, the GFEMS aims to use foreign aid dollars and investments from the private sector and philanthropic groups to bring an end to human trafficking. The United Kingdom’s contribution was the first major foreign government investment and matches a $25 million investment announced by the United States last week.

“More than two and a half years ago, we created a bold vision to help eliminate modern slavery and human trafficking around the world,” Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said. “With more than 27 million people enslaved, we knew we faced a massive problem that we could not fight alone, but we believed that U.S. leadership could galvanize tremendous support and investment from other governments and the private sector.”

The United Kingdom’s $25 million investment, Corker added, marks the first “major victory” of the GFEMS and stands as an example of what U.S. leadership on the issue can accomplish.

“Reducing the prevalence of human trafficking globally should be a shared effort,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in announcing the U.S. State Department’s investment in the global fund on Sept. 14. “That is why this initiative seeks to raise commitments of $1.5 billion in support from other donors.”

Over the next three years, the fund will invest in projects to combat all forms of modern slavery that align with the “3Ps” of the global anti-trafficking framework: prosecution, protection, and prevention, Tillerson said.

Corker added that, “The strong alliance between the U.S. and United Kingdom extends to our shared commitment to stamping out this scourge on humanity. I thank Prime Minister Theresa May and her government for their steadfast support of this effort, which is building a strong foundation for the Global Fund that I believe will have a transformative and measurable impact around the world.”