On September 19, 2017 local time, Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the roundtable on fighting against modern-day slavery at the UN headquarters in New York.

Wang Yi put forward the following four proposals on fighting against modern-day slavery:

--Focus on people. All countries should enhance top-level design, and incorporate combating human trafficking, forced labor and others into national law. All countries should establish sound institutions and mechanisms, form a governance pattern with government’s initiative actions as well as society’s extensive participation, and well do works in such aspects as combating, accountability, relief and placement, so as to create an umbrella of security for victims.

--Intensify coordination. The International Labor Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization, and UN human rights institutions should give play to respective strengths to promote various parties to implement relevant international conventions and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UN negotiations and discussions on fighting against modern-day slavery should be dominated by member states, conducted step by step, and based on consensus through consultation.

--Jointly shoulder responsibilities. All countries should shoulder respective responsibilities, and cut off the channels of capital flow as well as personnel flow of human trafficking and slavery. Developed countries should offer technical and financial supports to help developing countries to strengthen capacity building.

-- Address both the symptoms and root causes. Various countries should put more efforts into such aspects as promoting economic and social development and carrying forward fairness and justice to solve deep-rooted problems, including poverty, warfare and xenophobia. Relevant countries should also help less developed countries to obtain more development resources, focus on poverty reduction, impartially deal with hotspot issues, and advance political settlement, in a bid to achieve an early restoration of stability and order in conflict areas.

Wang Yi expressed that China sternly combats and resolutely eradicates all forms of slavery. China has constantly improved its legal system, and established the joint meeting mechanism of the State Council, which effectively struck human trafficking, forced labor and other criminal activities, and thus earnestly protecting the legitimate rights and interests of such vulnerable groups as women, children and the disabled. China has also actively conducted works for the victims involving salvation, protection, placement, recovery and integration into the society.

Wang Yi stressed that China will completely eradicate poverty by 2020, achieving the goal of building a well-off society in an all-round way, and thus realizing the index confirmed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. China has earnestly fulfilled its international obligations and approved 26 international human rights conventions, and will continuously and actively enhance communication with all parties, and jointly fight against human trafficking and other criminal activities, in a bid to strive to eradicate all forms of modern-day slavery.