The Abolition of the Slave Trade Act 1807 was the start of a successful process that outlawed the African slave trade worldwide. After centuries of suffering, millions of African slaves were eventually freed and millions of lives saved. Those who worked so hard in the 18th and 19th century to abolish slavery would be shocked to find that there was still so much work to be done 200 years later. On this 200th anniversary slavery has changed but it has not been eradicated.

Slavery can still be found in every corner of the world. In Europe today, slavery manifests itself in many different forms, including; the trafficking of women and children for the purposes of sexual exploitation; the holding of migrant women in domestic servitude; the exploitation of bonded labourers in the agricultural sector and the trafficking of children for the purposes of begging.

This international conference sought to contribute to the exploration, analysis and combating of these and other forms of slavery in contemporary Europe. In order to further the effectiveness of such discussions, the conference brought together participants from the world of academia, law, policy and anti-slavery activism.