The project aims to accelerate the use of rigorous research by policymakers and practitioners in support to efforts to tackle child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking around the world.
The RTA Project is a development cooperation project managed by the International Labour Organization and supported by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL).

To date, the global struggle against child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking has been hampered by a lack of critical and accessible research on effective policies and strategies and how they can be applied in different contexts. Policy makers and practitioners, who are in a position to make decisions, may not be aware of the available critical research, may not be able to access it, or may not be able to apply it effectively to their own situation. On the other hand, research may not be fully applicable to the needs of policy makers or may not be communicated or presented in a manner that is accessible to policy makers and other potential users.

Global Objectives

The RTA project aims at accelerating the use of rigorous research by policymakers and practitioners in support to efforts to tackle child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking around the world. In support of this effort, the project focuses on four outcomes related to child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking on knowledge, advocacy, capacity-building and global action.

Outcomes

There are four intended outcomes and some relevant activities:

• Outcome 1: Increased policymakers and practitioners’ interaction with rigorous research, evaluation studies, research tools, and other relevant data needed to address child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking internationally.
  The project will address critical factors that prevent effective research, policies and strategies from being widely disseminated and applied. Some activities include building a Policy Interactive Guidance tool, developing annotated bibliographies, and data mapping.
• Outcome 2: Increased understanding by researchers of the questions and knowledge gaps that need to be addressed to inform policy and programme efforts to eliminate child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking.
  The project will identify knowledge gaps and develop both global and country-level research agendas. The research agenda process will be guided by an International Advisory Board (IAB), including but not limited to technical experts from the USDOL, UN agencies, International Organization of Employers (IOE), International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Alliance 8.7 Pathfinder country representatives, and the academic community.
• Outcome 3: Improved capacity of researchers to study child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking issues.
  The project will develop a massive open online course (MOOC) and promote the integration of course modules into ongoing university programmes.
• Outcome 4: Increased engagement of skilled, multidisciplinary, policy-oriented researchers to carry out rigorous studies on child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking issues.
  The project will award research grants and fellowships to promote long-term collaboration with skilled researchers from a variety of disciplines.

Implementing Partner

The RTA project collaborates with the International Organization for Migration (IOM)’s Migrant Protection and Assistance (MPA) Division. The MPA of the Department of Migration Management provides protection and assistance to migrants in need. The ongoing collaboration with IOM-MPA will ensure that issues related to trafficking for forced labour, child trafficking, child labour and forced labour in crisis-affected populations and among migrants are reflected across all project activities.