Footprint to Freedom participated in the 15th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice in Abu Dhabi, represented by our Founder and Executive Director, Malaika Oringo, alongside Afasi Komla, Executive Member of the African Survivor Coalition and Director of End Modern Slavery at Engage Now Africa.

Our participation connected grassroots experience with international policy through civil society platforms, exchanges with national delegates and a plenary statement on people-centred, inclusive and responsive criminal justice systems.
At the side event “Civil Society as a Catalyst for Strengthening National Responses to Organized Crime,” our contribution highlighted how civil society recognizes exploitation, reaches communities, supports safe referrals and sustains recovery.
Thank you to Billy Batware for amplifying the role of civil society and creating space for grassroots experience and survivor expertise in these discussions.

In her plenary statement, Malaika called for justice that connects early identification, legal assistance, compensation and long-term recovery. She stressed that survivors must not be punished for unlawful acts they were forced to commit, and must have meaningful opportunities to shape institutional reform. “We are the evidence in these cases. Let us be the expertise in your reforms.”

The Congress reinforced the importance of cooperation across governments, civil society, communities and services. The next step is to translate the Abu Dhabi Declaration into practical action and measure progress through improvements in people’s lives.
We welcomed opportunities to connect with the Ugandan delegates, Issa Tangara from the Mali Peacekeeping School, and Hasan Alhosani and colleagues from the United Arab Emirates National Committee Secretariat.
Our thanks to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and its PACTS project for supporting opportunities for survivors to participate and contribute to discussions on justice and protection.
We look forward to building on these connections through practical collaboration that strengthens protection, access to justice and lasting freedom.