Humanity Research Consultancy

We're excited to announce the completion of our latest project report titled “Profiling Taiwanese Distant Water Vessel Owners: a missing link for a more ethical fishing supply chain” funded by The Humanity United and The Freedom Fund. As part of the project, we released four publications, including one report and three briefings, addressing key research questions such as: Who are the vessel owners? What challenges have they encountered? Why do vessel owners make certain decisions? And how those different factors can lead the fishing industry toward sustainable development? Our report uncovered key insights into Taiwan's distant water fishing industry. Vessel owners exhibit diverse profiles based on company size, operational styles, and historical trends. The vessel owner not only has to deal with cost pressures but also challenges embedded in complex recruitment processes, volatile pricing, and power imbalances with private sector actors. However, in recent years many of the vessel owners enhanced the practice on the vessel including providing Wi-Fi for fishers and adhering to C188 standards. By addressing these issues, the industry can move toward sustainable and ethical practices. These findings provide a foundation for informed decision-making and reforms to foster a fairer and more responsible fishing sector. We would like to thank the Humanity United and The Freedom Fund for their support and funding this project. A special thanks to all the vessel owners and the stakeholders involved in this project. We invite you to read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/g7n56aRP In the upcoming weeks, we will guide you through our three briefings to help you gain a deeper understanding of the fishery industry in Taiwan. Stay tuned! #fishingindustry, #fishermanrights, #humanrights, #collaboration

On December 5th, HRC’s Head of Programmes, Sharlene Chen, spoke at the event “Strengthening Institutional Capacities in Human Rights and Gender while Investigating and Prosecuting Human Drug Couriers”, organised and hosted by UNODC in Nairobi, Kenya. In her presentation, Sharlene addressed job scams that force individuals into criminal activities, such as drug trafficking, and discussed strategies to prevent African victims from being exploited. She provided a clear roadmap on how individuals from Africa and around the world fall into the traps of organised criminals, get trafficked through fraudulent job scams, and are coerced into forced criminality, including acting as drug couriers. Sharlene highlighted the complexities of prosecuting these victims and emphasised the importance of the non-punishment principle in human trafficking cases. She cited examples from UN Human Rights guidelines, the Human Trafficking Act 2002, and other relevant laws. Additionally, she offered actionable recommendations for governments to improve the situation. Below are the key points she covered in her presentation: 🔹Understanding forced criminality with real-world examples 🔹How individuals fall into forced criminality through cross-border trafficking 🔹Various methods of victim recruitment 🔹Victim profiles and countries of origin 🔹The necessity of the non-punishment principle in prosecuting forced criminality cases 🔹Training airport staff to identify and prevent human trafficking 🔹Recommendations for governments to combat human trafficking effectively We extend our gratitude to UNODC and BY AIR for organising and hosting this impactful event. #EndHumanTrafficking #ForcedCriminality #NonPunishmentPrinciple #HumanRights

HRC at the Inter-Regional Meeting on Trafficking in Persons & Smuggling of Migrants by Air. Our Head of Programmes, Sharlene Chen, recently spoke at the “Inter-Regional Meeting on Trafficking in Persons & Smuggling of Migrants by Air”, organised by UNODC and BY AIR, held from 3rd to 5th December in Nairobi, Kenya. On Day 1, Sharlene presented on: “Trafficking in Persons for Organised Crime in the Scam Industry – Protecting Potential Victims from African Countries” She shared insights on: 🔹 Scam typologies & locations 🔹 Victim profiles & recruitment strategies 🔹 Trafficking routes & the role of social media 🔹 Practical recommendations to combat human trafficking 🔹 Training for Airport Staff 🔹 Common Traits of Trafficking Victims: 🔹 Red Flags to Identify Trafficking 🔹 Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) 🔹 Recommendations for Governments 🔹 Public Awareness Thank you to UNODC and BY AIR for hosting this impactful and informative event! #humantrafficking, #forcedcriminality, #onlinescam

We are delighted to present our 2023-24 Impact Report, highlighting the progress and impact HRC has made over the past year! This marks HRC’s 5th year of operation, and the 5th year is always a significant milestone for any new organisation. We are delighted that, over these five years, HRC has built a team of experts across various fields. Our team has worked exceptionally hard this year, resulting in the delivery of numerous projects and the publication of 17 reports and briefings. This year, we collaborated with organisations such as Winrock International, International Justice Mission, Global Labor Justice, the Regional Support Office of the Bali Process s, the Global Fund to End Modern Slavery, Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, The Freedom Fund, The Mekong Club Club, UNODC, INTERPOL, and various embassies. This year, our work primarily focused on two key topics: Ending Cyber Slavery in Scamming Compounds and Improving Human Rights in the Fishing Industry. To address these critical issues, we undertook several projects with diverse stakeholders and shared our findings at global conferences, including the UNODC and UNTOC conferences. Guided by our slogan, Local Insights, Global Impact, we created 13 job opportunities for local consultants from various countries. Emphasising our survivor-centred approach, we also provided internships to 2 individuals from the 52 scam centre survivors we supported this year. We invite you to read our full impact report here: https://lnkd.in/g_XqXJYt #impactreport, #HRC, #modernslavery, #humantrafficking, #laborrights

Thank you, Click Here Show and Sean Powers Power, for shedding light on the pressing issue of online fraud related to cyber slavery and human trafficking. Sharlene Chen, our Head of Programmes, was interviewed by the Click Here Show for a podcast titled “Escape from Bamban: One Man’s Scam Farm Nightmare in the Philippines.” In this podcast, a survivor shares his harrowing experiences of working for scammers under threats to his life. We invite you to listen to this insightful podcast, which reveals the inside story of scamming compounds, here: https://lnkd.in/eYVmUnYv #onlinescamming, #humantrafficking, #cyberslavery

Humanity Research Consultancy (HRC) is developing a series of online training programmes focused on understanding and investigating cyber scams and financial crimes driven by human trafficking. We need your input to make sure these training align with your needs and interests. Whether you’re in law enforcement, NGO, academia, research, or simply looking to protect your clients, family, or community from online threats, we want your input! Take just 5 minutes to complete the survey below and help us tailor the training to your needs. Take the survey to let us know which topics matter most to you and how we can support your work: https://lnkd.in/gsm9brky #onlinetraining, #learning,

We are delighted to have contributed to the recently launched “Response to Trafficking in Persons (TIP) for Forced Criminality in the Thai Context” at FCCT on 14th November organised and hosted by the USAID Thailand CTIP project implemented by Winrock International. Thank you to USAID RDMA, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the Department of Special Investigation, and all the Thai officials and partners for their active participation and constructive dialogue at the event. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the interviewees, different stakeholders, and individuals who participated and supported us in this research. This research is already sparking impactful conversations and inspiring action, from high-level visits to Mae Sot to improved planning for victim support, including interpreters for trafficked individuals of 26 nationalities. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gVSm6WUY #forcedcriminality, #humantrafficking, #collaboration, #scamming, #research

Join us on 22nd November for the webinar titled “Survivors Matter to Countering Trafficking: Amplify Their Voices”, organised and hosted by ASEAN-ACT. In this webinar, our Survivor Empowerment and Communication Officer, MD Abdus Salam, will share his knowledge alongside Shandra Woworuntu on how survivors of human trafficking can become leaders and advocates to address trafficking issues in policy-making, and why survivor leaders are essential in the counter-trafficking sector. We invite you to join this interactive webinar on 22nd November 2024, 14:00-16:00 Bangkok Time via Zoom. Let’s discuss and share insights about the importance of survivor engagement in the counter-trafficking sector together. Register here to attend: https://lnkd.in/g3nwqByp #survivor, #leadership, #humantrafficking, #empowerment

On October 23rd, our Head of Programmes, Sharlene Chen, shared findings from the briefings titled “Uncovering the Spread of Human Trafficking for Online Fraud into Laos and Dubai” during a workshop organised by USAID Asia CTIP, and USAID Laos CTIP Project, implemented by the Winrock International. Sharlene discussed the trafficking routes and tactics that have turned Laos into a significant destination for trafficking victims. She delved into the recruitment methods and collaboration strategies employed by local traffickers, who often leverage social media for exploitation. During her presentation, Sharlene emphasised the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (GTSEZ) in Bokeo Province, a hotspot for illicit activities such as human trafficking, wildlife trafficking, forced scamming, physical violence, forced prostitution, and drug trafficking. She also highlighted victim profiles and the experiences of trafficking victims from around the globe. In the workshop the Laos government officials and NGOs provided invaluable insights and shared their frontline experiences in response to this report, enriching the discussion with their on-ground perspectives. We would like to thank USAID Asia CTIP, USAID Laos CTIP, and Winrock International for organising this impactful event. #humantrafficking, #forcedcriminality, #scamming, #collaboration, #research

Join us on 20th November for the webinar "Human Rights Due Diligence: Fundamentals for Impactful Implementation”.  The webinar will be hosted by FishWise. In the session, our Head of Programs Sharlene Chen will be speaking along with Sam Myers and Kelley K. Bell from FishWise, Ashley Aarons from Oxfam and Renee Perry, from CSR & ESG Culimer USA on the report. We invite you to join this interactive technical exchange on 20th November 2024, 11:00 EST/ 8:00 PST/ 16:00 GMT via Zoom. Let’s discuss and share insights on Human Rights Due Diligence together! Register here to attend: https://lnkd.in/gzp3X2Cs #Fisherrights, #Webniar, #HRDD