Sex trafficking is human trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation, including sexual slavery . [1] Sexual exploitation is based on the actions of a trafficker selling a victim (a person who has been trafficked and sexually exploited) to clients for performing sexual services. Sex trade is one of the largest and "fastest growing criminal industry in the world." [2]
According to the International Labor Organization , 20.9 million people in the world are exploitable, and 22% of them (4.5 million) are victims of forced sexual exploitation. However, due to the secrecy of human trafficking is difficult to obtain accurate statistics. [3]
Most of the victims are in a position from which it is very difficult and dangerous to escape. Sex trafficking covers the whole world, which makes it difficult to create a unified system for solving this problem.
Content
Prevention
People can contact the National Resource Center for Trafficking in Persons by calling 1 (888) -373-7888. To help victims of sex trafficking and provide information to those at risk, the hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Efforts to combat sex trafficking
International law
Anti-trafficking efforts are often associated with anti-prostitution efforts. However, this often often creates legal problems in dealing with sex trafficking victims. While prostitutes work on their own, sex trafficking victims do this under duress. Recognizing this, many states have passed legislation allowing for an amnesty for victims of sex trafficking for crimes related to prostitution. But in many countries this possibility is not provided. Thus, by asking for help, sex trafficking victims are at risk of prosecution for prostitution. [four]
In addition to the UN Trafficking in Persons Protocol and the European Convention on Combating Trafficking in Human Beings, various mechanisms are applied that contain provisions for the protection of children from human trafficking and the protection of victims of trafficking. Such as [5] :
- Convention of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on preventing and combating trafficking in women and children (2002).
- International Labor Organization Convention concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor (1999).
United Nations
The first international protocol on sexual slavery was the 1949 UN Convention against Trafficking in Persons and the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others. [6] The 1949 UN Convention, which was not ratified by all countries, but entered into force in 1951, became the successor of this document. These efforts led to the creation of the 2000 Convention against Internationally Organized Crime. The Convention contains elements of the current international law on human trafficking.
In 1997, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime was established with the task of monitoring human trafficking and developing methods to prevent it. Each year, the Office (UNDOK) publishes a report on human trafficking and the success of countries in combating it. [7]
In 2011, the United Nations reported that girls constitute two-thirds of all child victims of trafficking. Girls accounted for 15–20% of the total number of victims found, while boys accounted for about 10%. The UN report was based on official data provided by 132 countries. [eight]
In 2013, the United Nations adopted a resolution introducing World Day to Combat Trafficking in Persons. The first World Day to Combat Human Trafficking was celebrated on July 30, 2014. [9]
In accordance with the 2000 Protocol on the Prevention and Suppression of Trafficking in Persons, the UN offers practical assistance to states, drafts laws, creates comprehensive national strategies to combat trafficking in persons, and provides assistance for their implementation. [ten]
Council of Europe
On July 1, 2010, the Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse entered into force. As of September 2018, 44 states have ratified the Convention, and 3 more states have signed but not yet ratified. The objective of the Convention is to create an independent and effective monitoring system in which member states are responsible for combating trafficking in persons and ensuring the protection of its victims. To monitor the implementation of this law, the Council of Europe has established the Group of Experts on Combating Trafficking in Persons (GRETA). [eleven]
Actions by other governments
The measures taken to combat human trafficking vary according to the laws of different countries. Actions by many governments include:
- The introduction of legislation specifically designed to criminalize trafficking in persons.
- Development of cooperation between law enforcement agencies and non-governmental organizations of many countries.
- Raising awareness of the problem.
Raising awareness can take three forms. First, governments can raise awareness of potential victims, especially in those countries where sex trafficking is highly prevalent. Secondly, they can raise awareness among police officers, social workers and immigration services so that they can properly deal with the problem. And finally, in countries where prostitution is legal or semi-legal, they can raise awareness among prostitution clients so that they can see potential victims of sex trafficking. [12]
Non-Governmental Organizations
One of the main non-governmental organizations involved in sex trafficking is IJM . The activities of this organization are aimed at combating trafficking in persons in developing countries in Latin America, Asia and Africa. IJM receives over $ 900,000 from the US government. [13] The organization has two methods of rescuing victims: raids on brothels with the local police and a method where representatives of the organization pretend to be clients who want sex from minors. After the raids, the victims are sent to rehabilitation centers conscious of various non-governmental organizations or governments.
There are also national non-governmental organizations dealing with the problem of human trafficking in individual countries. For example, in Kenya, the organization en: Awareness Against Human Trafficking (HAART) operates.
ECPAT is an international organization headquartered in Thailand . The purpose of the organization is to stop the commercial sexual exploitation of children. ECPAT has been operating since 1990 and is mandated to monitor the fulfillment of government commitments to protect children from sexual exploitation. ECPAT publishes regular reports that are submitted to the United Nations. [14]
See also
- Prostitution
- Human trafficking
Notes
- ↑ Sex Trafficking - Inside the Business of Modern Slavery | Columbia university press
- ↑ Entry, Progression, Exit, and Sexual Trafficking: Implications for Effective Interventions | SpringerLink
- ↑ https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_norm/---declaration/documents/publication/wcms_181953.pdf
- ↑ Barnard, Alyssa M. "THE SECOND CHANCE THEY DESERVE": VACATING CONVICTIONS OF THE SEX TRAFFICKING VICTIMS (eng.) // Columbia Law Review : journal. - 2014. - 1 January ( vol. 114 , no. 6 ). - P. 1463-1501 .
- ↑ Human trafficking and international law | Liberty & Humanity
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054644/http://polis.osce.org/library/f/3655/2833/UN-USA-RPT-3655-EN-Text%20of%20the%20Convention .pdf
- ↑ Global Report on Trafficking in Persons
- ↑ https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/glotip/Trafficking_in_Persons_2012_web.pdf
- ↑ Feminist Wire Daily Newsbriefs: US and Global News Coverage
- King Trafficking in Persons - United Nations and the Rule of Law
- ↑ Full list
- ↑ UNODC - Global TV Campaign on Human Trafficking
- ↑ USAID contracts with faith-based organizations - Boston Globe - Boston.com
- ↑ Resources Archive - ECPAT International