“Slavery is illegal everywhere.” said the NYT, Yet our new research reveals that almost half of all countries in the world have yet to actually make it a crime to enslave another human being."
As the leader of the Rights Lab's Law and Policy Programme, Dr. Katarina Schwarz is dedicated to advancing our understanding of the legal and policy frameworks that govern anti-slavery efforts worldwide. Her research focuses on global, regional, and domestic law and policy, with a particular emphasis on identifying the key elements of effective anti-slavery governance and analyzing trends, successes, and failures in this area.
In support of evidence-based action in the fight against modern slavery, Schwarz is currently spearheading the development of the world's first comprehensive database of domestic legislation and international obligations related to slavery and related forms of exploitation in all 193 UN Member States. This initiative will provide valuable insights into the legal landscape of anti-slavery governance, empowering policymakers and advocates to make more informed decisions and drive meaningful change.
"Schwartz develops a theory of reparations, observing that the international legal system is not a neutral system based on the rule of law, justice, or equality; the bedrock of the system is centuries of enslavement, colonialism, and imperial expansion." William E. Butler, Jus Gentium