INTERNATIONAL LAWS

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• INTERNATIONAL LAWS
• TO COMBAT
• HUMAN TRAFFICKING
• Dr. Geeta Sekhon
• Project Coordinator, UNODC
• geeta.sekhon_at_unodc.org

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What is human trafficking?

• Dictionary definition of trafficking
• An illegal trade in a commodity
• Trafficking of human beings is their trade or
  commercial dealing
• Victims from 127 countries undergo exploitation
  in 135 countries

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Dimensions of Human Trafficking

• Human trafficking - third most profitable illicit
  trade, after that of arms and drugs
• Generates about US 217 billion in revenue,
  annually, - linked to other organized crimes -
  human smuggling, drug trafficking, and money
  laundering
• ILO - there are 2.45 million trafficking
  victims currently under exploitative conditions -
  estimated that another 1.2 million persons are
  trafficked annually
• Trafficking in Persons Report, United
  States Department of State, 2006, p. 13.
• State of the World Population Report, UNFPA,
  2006, p. 44.

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Trafficking as a process

• 1. Recruitment
  Country of Origin
• 2. Transportation Country of
  Transit
• 3. Exploitation Country
  of Destination

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United Nations Convention Against Transnational
Organized Crime, 2000 Palermo Convention
Protocol Against the Illicit Manufacturing and
Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and
Components and Ammunition, 2002
Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish
Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and
Children, 2002
Protocol Against the Smuggling of Migrants by
Land, Sea and Air, 2002
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Other International Instruments

• The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
  Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), 1979
• Article 6
• States Parties shall take all appropriate
  measures, including legislation, to suppress all
  forms of traffic in women and exploitation of
  prostitution of women.

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Other International Instruments

• Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1990
• Article 34 -
• protect the child from all forms of sexual
  exploitation and sexual abuse. take all
  appropriate national, bilateral and multilateral
  measures to prevent
• (a) child to engage in any unlawful sexual
  activity
• (b) use of children in prostitution or other
  unlawful sexual practices
• (c) use of children in pornographic
  performances and materials.
• Article 35 -
• measures to prevent the abduction of, the sale
  of or traffic in children for any purpose or in
  any form.

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Other International Instruments

• The ILO Convention on the Worst Forms of Child
  Labour, 1999 (No. 182)
• Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights
  of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child
  Prostitution and Child Pornography, 2002

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SAARC Regional Instruments

• SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combating the
  Trafficking in Women and Children for
  Prostitution, 2002
• SAARC Convention on Regional Arrangements for the
  Promotion of Child Welfare in South Asia, 2002

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Push - Pull Factors

• Large supply of potential victims
• Economic difficulties, lack of employment
  opportunities, poverty, illiteracy, lack of
  awareness
• Growing demand for women and children for sex
  trafficking / forced/ exploitative labour
• Organized criminal networks exploit supply and
  demand situation
• Trafficking in persons is regarded as a high
  profit low risk crime

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Purpose of the Trafficking Protocol

• Article 2 -
• Trafficking Protocol offers a framework for
  tackling the problem of human trafficking.
• To prevent and combat trafficking in persons,
  paying particular attention to women and
  children
• To protect and assist victims of such
  trafficking, with full respect for their human
  rights and
• To promote international co-operation to achieve
  above objectives.

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Definition of Human Trafficking (Article 3)
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Provisions of Trafficking Protocol

• Criminalization (Art. 5)
• Assistance and Protection of Victims (Art.6)
• Temporary Residence and Repatriation (Art. 7-8)
• Prevention (Art 9)
• Information exchange and training (Art. 10)
• Border Measures and Documents (Art. 11-13)

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Government of India Initiatives

• Prioritization of combating human trafficking
• Strengthening legislation
• Better law enforcement response
• Training and capacity building
• Setting-up specialized Anti Human Trafficking
  Units

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• The question is no longer What can be done
  about human trafficking but rather how we can do
  more and do it better. There is no time to lose
  or waste

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• THANK YOU
• http//www.unodc.org/india