ACCESS TO JUSTICE AND SOCIAL PARTICIPATION: The evolution of public policies to combat human trafficking in Brazil
Access to justice; civil Society; human trafficking; public policies; social participation.
This work investigates the relationship between access to justice and the participation of civil society in the formulation of public policies, with an emphasis on the evolution of Brazilian strategies to combat human trafficking. The dissertation is organized into three chapters. The first chapter explores the expanding concept of access to justice, emphasizing its preventive dimension through public policies and linking it to the guiding principles of the National Policy to Combat Human Trafficking. The second chapter provides a historical overview of anti-human trafficking policies in Brazil, highlighting advances and challenges based on eight legal and institutional milestones, starting with the adoption of the Palermo Protocol (2004) and culminating in the publication of the Fourth National Plan to Combat Human Trafficking (2024-2028). Finally, the third chapter analyzes the relationship between the expansion of the concept of access to justice and the participation of civil society in the construction of the Fourth PNETP. Special attention is given to the role of virtual meetings, which significantly facilitated the engagement of organizations, experts, and social movements from all regions of the country, promoting greater inclusiveness in the process. Additionally, the proposals consolidated through the ongoing outreach initiative "Project Vez e Voz" are presented, which were submitted to enhance key actions of the Fourth National Plan to Combat Human Trafficking.