Thomson Reuters Foundation launches Stop Slavery Hub

London, (September 13, 2018) – The Thomson Reuters Foundation has today announced the launch of an all-encompassing digital hub set to become the biggest online news and information source on modern slavery. 

The Stop Slavery Hub  is a one-stop-shop serving the growing community of individuals, organisations, governments, businesses, and funders engaged in putting an end to human trafficking.

A new initiative to connect key players in the field, the Hub offers the latest global news and in-depth investigations on slavery and trafficking, highlights events relevant to the subject, and documents the latest research, reports and policy announcements worldwide. It will also showcase contributions from survivors and experts in the field. 

Increased Anti-Slavery Coverage 

The launch of the Stop Slavery Hub also marks the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s significant expansion of its news offering focussed on slavery and trafficking. 

Supported by grant funding from the C&A Foundation, the expansion of the slavery and trafficking team will see nine journalists reporting daily on modern slavery, making the Thomson Reuters Foundation the world’s largest news source on slavery and trafficking. Dedicated reporters will be located in eight countries – India, Cambodia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Mexico, Brazil, UK and the USA – and will be given the sole mandate of reporting on the issue from various angles. The nine reporters will be supported by the 50 Thomson Reuters Foundation staff journalists around the world and by a growing network of more than 250 freelancers. 

Monique Villa, CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, said: “Launching the Stop Slavery Hub and an increase in our coverage of slavery makes me very proud as it is the obvious next step in the work that we do to connect key players in the field all over the world. Our goal is to give those fighting against slavery the tools they need to rid the world of this shameful crime, and the Hub, a one-stop-shop for resources about modern slavery, is definitely a step in the right direction.

Brandee Butler, Head of Gender Justice and Human Rights at the C&A Foundation, said: “C&A Foundation is proud to expand our partnership with the team at the Thomson Reuters Foundation because of their high standards of journalistic integrity, nuanced approach to complexities, and, ultimately, their ability to get to the heart of the matter.  As it has done in India, the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s expanded coverage will bolster anti-slavery movements throughout Asia and Latin America by exposing truths, amplifying the voices of victims, and highlighting models for positive reform.” 

The increased coverage of the issue of slavery coincides with the release of an independent report assessing global media coverage of modern slavery. 

Produced by specialist media monitoring company Meltwater UK, the report names the Thomson Reuters Foundation as the most prolific of all major publications that focus on the topic. The study analyses over 500,000 articles on modern slavery between 2015 and 2017 and shows that the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s editorial offering outperformed the top 10 major outlets combined in influencing the conversation on forced labour and sexual slavery. It also identified that although the Times of India published more articles on the subject in 2017, nearly 17% of these were pick-ups of the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s stories on India and the rest of the world. 

The Stop Slavery Hub 

The Stop Slavery Hub aims to become a critical resource for anti-slavery NGOs as well as businesses and investors seeking information on how to address slavery in supply chains. 

In order to cater for a wide community of stakeholders, along with the latest anti-slavery news, the Stop Slavery Hub will also direct visitors to the Trust Conference, the Stop Slavery Award and the Stop Slavery Hero Award, three flagship initiatives of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. 

Organised by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the Trust Conference is the world’s biggest anti-slavery forum bringing together NGOs from the frontlines with other key players in the anti-slavery movement including government and business decision makers. Each year, the conference brings together some 600 participants from more than 60 countries. This year the event takes place on November 14-15 at the Queen Elizabeth Centre, in London. 

Launched in 2016, the Stop Slavery Award rewards companied that have gone above and beyond in addressing the issues of forced labour in their supply chains.  The Stop Slavery Award was previously won by: NXP Semiconductors, HPE, Adidas, C&A, Intel and the Cooperative Group. 

The inaugural Stop Slavery Hero Award will be presented on November 14 at the world’s largest anti-slavery forum, the Foundation’s Trust Conference. 

The Stop Slavery Hub will also direct visitors to a global ranking of businesses demonstrating best practice in tackling forced labour thanks to the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s partnership with KnowTheChain. Called the KnowTheChain/Stop Slavery Index, the ranking aims to drive corporate engagement in the fight against slavery as well as inform consumer choice. 

About the Thomson Reuters Foundation
The Thomson Reuters Foundation acts to promote the highest standards in journalism and spread the practice of legal pro bono worldwide. The organisation runs initiatives that inform, connect and empower people around the world: access to free legal assistance, editorial coverage of the world’s under-reported news, media development and training, and the Trust Conference. 

About C&A Foundation
C&A Foundation is here to transform the fashion industry. We give our partners the financial support, expertise and networks so they can make the fashion industry work better for every person it touches. We do this because we believe that despite the vast and complex challenges we face, we can work together to make fashion a force for good.

For all media enquiries and interview requests: 

Jenny Vereker
Deputy Communications Director
Thomson Reuters Foundation


Stephanie Klotz
Senior Communications Manager
C&A Foundation