Overview of Human Trafficking Issues

  Dr. Susu Thatun, UNICEF Child Protection Specialist

Trafficking is so “hidden” that it is hard to give an accurate count of how many are affected by it.  Some studies give an idea of what we are dealing with.  A 2005 ILO study said 12.3 million people globally are trafficked into forced labor.  Of that number, 2.4 million are trafficked into the commercial sex trade.  1.2 million of those trafficked into forced labor were children.  A 2008 Annual Report from the State Department in the US says that 6-800,000 people are trafficked across national borders every year and that does not count those trafficked within the borders of which there are many.

Where are we after all the conventions and protocols to raise awareness about this issue?  We have a better UNDERSTANDING of the problem and underlying forces than we did at the beginning.  We have learned enough to recognize that our initial efforts made little impact.  The protocol has given us a definitive international definition for trafficking that helps to address the wider implications of its reality.  For example, trafficking, although predominantly targeting women and girls, by definition includes men and boys who also need considerations and services.  We now know that the majority of traffickers are women.  The reasons for trafficking are not just ignorance or poverty but insufficient regulatory frameworks encourage trafficking.

As of 10/2009, 135 countries had ratified the trafficking protocol but 67 have not.  If the protocol is not ratified, then men and boys are not provided services and are just returned to their country of origin, sometimes adding to the abuse they have already experienced.  Where the protocol is not ratified, those trafficked into prostitution are not given assistance but are arrested instead and eventually returned to their “profession.”  

UNICEF’s first approach to trafficking work is a systems approach.  This lies with the government along with families and communities.  It recognizes that patterns of consumption in destination countries are driving trafficking. 

Secondly, they aim for social change.  An example she used was from Haiti – that the traditional practice of wealthy relatives taking a child from a struggling family into their home was one of generosity.  In exchange for light manual tasks, the child was provided for and educated.  But this practice grew within a system that had no way to protect children.  Now it is a common practice to traffick children as household workers without opportunity for education and to go further in exploiting how hard and/or long they work. 

Advances made – they have a priority to do no more harm to the victim and to not reinvent the wheel. 

1)      Prevention – prevent exploitative migration

a.       Start in the home/community

b.      Stop it in the destination country

c.       Correct victim identification

2)      Protection

Law enforcement is at the forefront of the investigation – train them

3)      Prosecution

Global prosecutions are very low.  Advocates need to work with victims in helping them through this process.

4)      Policy is necessary for governments, communities, corporations, etc.

5)      Partnership – working together

Advocacy Strategies:  Best Practices and Challenges

Carol Smolenski, Executive Director, ECPAT, USA

ECPAT came out of a meeting in 1991 when trafficking was being discussed.  That led to a Code of Conduct.  Sweden became the first government to take up this work in 1996 and has been the convener of subsequent events. 

            The second world congress was held in 2001.

The third world congress was held in 2008 out of which came an 18 page outcome document.  The US signed this and it is US policy which provides for good background when working with government or government-related organizations.  ECPat is in 75 countires.

A code of Conduct with the traveling industry was completed in 1998, see thecode.org which includes six steps for the legitimate travel industry:

            1 – have a policy

            2 – train your personnel

            3 – tell people in your destination cities that you signed the code

            4 – include this information as a clause in your contracts

            5 – tell customers

            6 – report annually how you are supporting the code

Only three US companies have signed the code.

Mexico is training its cab drivers in Mexico City.

What you can do – buy luggage tags to support this effort and to raise awareness

                                    Buy body lotion by The Body Shop

The Role of Faith-Based Organizations: Report on the Anglican Consultation on Human Trafficking

Ms. Helen Grace Akwii-Wangusa, Anglican United Nations Observer

Faith-based organizations are community-based and remain in the community no matter what happens.

Even without specialized expertise, faith-based organizations can advocate.

Based on the concept that humanity is created in the image of God and bears God’s dignity, involvement in trafficking is a matter of restoring God’s dignity in humans who have lost it.

The faith mandate is to protect and respond to children.  Reducing people the level of a commodity is wrong.  We have history to draw from for this work – slavery. 

1)      Whatever we think, trafficking is in the Bible.  The first instance is with a boy, Joseph, who is sold by his family.  (Lot tried to offer his virgin daughters to distract the city people from wanting his male guests for sexual favors).  We must begin this work by examining our own households and how we “use” children.

2)      Human trafficking is second only to the drug trade because it is so lucrative.  We have to talk about this in familial terms – sisters, daughters, mothers, etc.

3)      Trafficking is right here, not always across borders.

4)      We need to identify where or strengths and weaknesses are in this work. Stereotypes in our culture – less value to girl children, language, concepts (such as changing from “prostitution” to “sex workers.”).  Also, the fashion industry heavily influences our children in how they perceive themselves and others.

An interesting best practice in a village in India was a Bishop who would take parishioners and go to the brothels to talk to people.  He created relationships.  As a result of this, the community established a small group of “vigilantes” to watch out for girls and children – to protect them from being trafficked.  This group also served in a “search and rescue” mode if girls or children went missing.  They would locate them and bring them back to their village community.  They trained the local bus drivers to identify trafficked girls or vulnerable children. 

Taken by Julie Taylor, Child and Family for United Methodist Women