INTERNATIONAL LAWS

TO COMBAT

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Dr. Geeta Sekhon

Project Coordinator, UNODC
geeta.sekhon@unodc.org
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
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.
 Trafficking as a process …

1. Recruitment Country of Origin

2. Transportation Country of Transit

3. Exploitation Country of Destination

 United Nations
Convention
Against
Transnational
Organized Crime,
2000 – Palermo
Convention

Protocol to Prevent, Protocol Against the Protocol Against the

Suppress and Smuggling of Illicit Manufacturing
Punish Trafficking in Migrants by Land, and Trafficking in
Persons, especially Sea and Air, 2002 Firearms, Their
Women and Parts and
Children, 2002 Components and
Ammunition, 2002
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.
 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.
 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
 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
 “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
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.
Definition of Human Trafficking (Article 3)
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)
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
“ 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”
 THANK YOU

http://www.unodc.
org/india