Anti-Slavery Wales 2025 was hosted at Conwy Business Centre in Llandudno Junction and online on October 16, uniting professionals from Wales and beyond.
The conference, organised by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for North Wales and the Welsh Government, marked the 10th anniversary of the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Nearly 100 in-person attendees, alongside a similar number online, from various sectors including the police, fire services, health, social care, and charity organisations, convened to discuss efforts to combat this crime.
The event followed the theme of ‘All for One’, a multi-agency response approach to tackling modern slavery.
The conference saw several key figures address attendees, including Jane Hutt MS, cabinet secretary for social justice, Trefnydd and chief whip, who announced the launch of Anti-Slavery Wales Online Learning – free online resources about modern slavery.
Other speakers included Andy Dunbobbin, the PCC for North Wales, who welcomed attendees, and Juliet Odaro from the Human Trafficking Foundation’s Lived Experience Advisory Panel.
Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, said: “This year’s Anti-Slavery Wales conference demonstrates our region’s commitment to tackling issues such as Modern Slavery head-on.
“I appreciate and support the innovative approaches being developed across different sectors to protect our communities in the region and, by bringing together expertise from different organisations and professionals from across Wales, we’re building a more robust response to Modern Slavery.
“The stories shared at the event remind us why this work is so vital; it literally changes people’s lives.”
Eleanor Lyons, the UK’s independent anti-slavery commissioner, and Andrew Wallis, CEO of Unseen UK, also delivered keynote addresses.
Another highlight was Albanian human rights activist Edlira Çepani, who provided an international perspective on modern slavery.
The discussions during the conference highlighted the prevalence of modern slavery across Wales, the UK, and globally, including North Wales.
Industries such as care, hospitality, car washes, nail bars, pubs, and takeaways were identified as common places of exploitation.
Wayne Jones, deputy PCC for North Wales, said: “I was pleased to work with Welsh Government to make the first visit of the Anti-Slavery Wales conference to North Wales a success.
“We had a positive response locally and secured an excellent range of high-profile international speakers to share their expertise and experiences with delegates.
“I hope that the learnings from the conference will enable attendees to further help vulnerable people across North Wales and beyond, to recognise the signs of Modern Slavery and to help stop this terrible crime in its tracks.”
Free online learning resources on Modern Slavery were launched to provide further learning opportunities around this issue.
