Combating Forced Labor and Human Trafficking on Fishing Vessels in the Asia-Pacific Region

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), announces the availability of approximately $5,000,000 total costs for one or more cooperative agreements to fund a technical assistance project(s) to reduce forced labor and human trafficking on fishing vessels in Indonesia and in one of the following countries in the Asia-Pacific region to be named by the applicant: Burma, Cambodia, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. The project outcomes include: 1) improved enforcement to combat labor exploitation, including forced labor and human trafficking, on fishing vessels; and 2) decreased presence of indicators of forced labor on fishing vessels. At least 80 percent of total direct costs must be evenly distributed between the two countries. Up to 20 percent of total direct costs could be distributed as justified by the applicant. This award must not be used to fund direct services to participants, but rather must include strategies for how to increase awareness of services, implement referrals or linkages to other direct service providers, and/or support the creation of systems where they do not exist. The duration of the project will be a maximum of 4 years (48 months) from the effective date of the award.