A direct descendant of UK slave emancipator William Wilberforce today threw his weight behind The Royal Gazette <$>campaign to pursue Governments around the world to stamp out modern-day slavery.

The great-great-great-great grandson of Wilberforce — also called William — urged our readers to add their names to an anti-slavery petition, already signed by thousands of people around the world.

He said: “This is something that should have been solved 200 years ago. Sadly, it’s still prevalent today.”

His comments came as The Royal Gazette <$>launched Break The Chains.

Our campaign is backing a petition demanding action from world leaders to stamp out varying forms of captivity — including human trafficking, child labour, bonded labour and forced marriages.

Speaking from his home in North Yorkshire, England, Mr. Wilberforce said he hoped Break The Chains — highlighting the work of human rights lobby group Anti-Slavery International — would have a similar impact to the abolitionist movement of two centuries ago.

Mr. Wilberforce, 48, said his namesake would have been dismayed with the current crisis, which has left at least 12 million people falling into captivity through human traffickers, child labour, bonded labour and forced marriages. “He would be disappointed there had not been more progress,” he added.

Mr. Wilberforce said it was vital the issue of modern-day slavery hit the headlines — and the campaign had a global impact.

“This is not just a problem for developing nations — problems like child slave labour and human trafficking affect developed nations as well,” he said, adding that the anti-slavery movement was as relevant today as it was 200 years ago.

“What’s important to myself is bringing the whole issue back into the political forum. I feel it’s something that has been brushed under the carpet.”

The accountant, who spoke of his pride for his relative’s campaigning stance, continued: “I hope this is going to make people aware all over the world.

“In these troubled times, an issue like slavery does not seem to be able to compete in the newspapers with things like the war on terror.

“It’s a very insidious form of abuse of human rights and a lot of people are not aware of things like bonded labour or child slave labour, or they do not feel able to do much about it. Everyone feels they are a very small cog in a vast machine.”

He said it was time for the world to recognise and tackle the problem. And raising awareness through media campaigns like this was vital if attempts to rid the world of slavery were to succeed, he told The Royal Gazette.

“Coverage of campaigns like this helps bring the issue to the fore and that’s really important because, if you can get people treating each other with respect, there’s hope for the future.

“I have two young children who I want to grow up in a world where they feel proud of what the human race is doing.”

He said the abolitionists showed how people from different political, ethnic and religious backgrounds could join together on a single issue — and succeed.

He also said that it was important that people in Bermuda, a country impacted historically by slavery, followed his lead and backed the campaign.

“Terrible abuses that were going on 200 years ago are still going on in some places,” said Mr. Wilberforce.

“We are lucky to live in a democracy and be in the position where we are. An awful lot of people are not.”