Email this page

Regional Initiatives

News and Updates

Joint Statement Made about Human Trafficking in UK¹
Joint statement by Amnesty International, Anti-Slavery International, ECPAT UK and UNICEF UK: We welcome the Government's launch of a public consultation on its national action plan against human trafficking and its continued commitment to tackling trafficking.

Belarus Limits Online Dating¹
Belarusian lawmakers December 2005 passed legislation backed by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko that would crack down on Internet dating and online spouse searches in the latest in a series of stringent government controls in the ex-Soviet nation.

Traffickers Target Northern Tajikistan¹
17 December 2005, Institute for War and Peace Reporting Human trafficking is a growing problem in Tajikistan, with the country’s northern region most affected by this lucrative form of modern-day slavery.

Vietnam and Australia Co-operate in Fight Against Human Trafficking¹
Australia will provide the Vietnamese Border Defence Command with facilities for two rooms for checking passports and other papers.

New funding for counter trafficking activities in the Balkans¹
The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) is providing an additional US$ 2 million to IOM’s programmes to combat trafficking and provide assistance to victims of trafficking in Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo (Serbia Montenegro), the FYR of Macedonia, Moldova, Romania, Serbia Montenegro and Ukraine.

A Counter Trafficking Web site is launched in Turkey¹
IOM Ankara announced the launch of its new website dedicated to counter-trafficking information and education, part of a comprehensive IOM-implemented counter-trafficking programme in the country.

Comments to the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings¹
Addressing the 26th Conference of European Ministers of Justice in Helsinki, Finland on 7-8 April 2005, the Chairperson of the PACE's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Serhiy Holovaty (Ukraine, LDR), today sounded the alarm referring to the position taken by the European Commission on behalf of 22 member States of the European Community on the draft Council of Europe Convention on the trafficking in human beings.

"Belarus Against Trafficking" Information-Retrieval System Launched
Information-Retrieval System (IRS) "Belarus against Trafficking" has been created within the framework of EU/UNDP Project "Combating Trafficking in Women in the Republic of Belarus." The Project is financed by the European Commission.

Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings; Critics to Disconnection Clauses¹
Amnesty International reiterates its call on the institutions and the member states of the European Union and the Council of Europe to cooperate to ensure the highest standards for the protection of human rights.

The Council of Europe Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings Adopted
Council of Europe Convention on action against trafficking in human beings adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 3 May 2005 and Explanatory Memorandum.

UK makes migration and trafficking a priority for EU presidency¹
The United Kingdom's priorities for the European Union presidency include developing an Action Plan on people trafficking (available from the UK Presidency of the EU http://www.eu2005.gov.uk) and working for greater EU-wide police co-operation.

European Convention against Trafficking in People: Still far from guaranteeing effective protection for victims
There is a concern that the current wording of the draft does not adequately guarantee effective protection of victims, contrary to the objective pursued.

European Parliament Passes Resolution on Trafficking of Women and Children in Cambodia¹
The European Parliament, having regard to its previous resolutions on Cambodia, and in particular those of 13 March 2003² and 12 February 2004³, having regard to the cooperation agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Cambodia,⁴ which entered in force on 1 November 1999, having regard to the 2000-2003 EC-Cambodia Strategy Document and the 2005-2006 National Indicative Programme, having regard to the statement made by the Local Presidency of the European Union on behalf of the EU Heads of Missions in Phnom Penh on the attack on a shelter for victims of human trafficking operated by the Association 'Agir Pour les Femmes en Situation Précaire' (AFESIP), having regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, ratified by Cambodia and by all EU Member States, having regard to the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, and the UN Convention against Organised Crime, having regard to the EU guidelines on the protection of human rights activists approved by the European Council in July 2004, having regard to the agreement between UN and Cambodia on a budget for a special Cambodia war crimes tribunal, having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure, having regard to the attack on the Srey Khan Center of the AFESIP Association where 91 women and young girls were staying, 83 of whom had been freed the day before by officials working for the Department for Trafficking in Human Beings and Juvenile Protection from a hotel where prostitution was being practised, whereas the fate of these 91 women and girls is unknown, whereas eight people were arrested during the police operation and freed the following day, having regard to the death threats received by Somaly Mam, an activist working for children forced into prostitution and for whom the Cambodian government cannot guarantee protection, whereas trafficking in humans beings and sexual exploitation are a form of modern day slavery and constitute flagrant violations of fundamental human rights carried out by organised criminal networks operating across international borders; whereas this is a lucrative business for the traffickers, whereas trafficking in human beings is increasing because of poverty, unemployment, the vulnerability of women and children, deteriorating social conditions in the countries of origin, the high profits and low risks experienced by traffickers, and the demand for women and children for purposes of prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation, whereas efforts still need to be made in the fight against organised crime and trafficking in human beings, whereas during the 7th Consultative Group (CG) meeting on Cambodia of 6 and 7 December 2004 participants agreed on a series of common indicators, including enacting domestic violence and anti-trafficking laws, to help the government of Cambodia and development partners alike to monitor performance in the coming year, considering the creation of an Inter-Ministerial Committee by the government of Cambodia which will investigate the attack on the AFESIP centre, Denounces the sexual exploitation of minors as a crime 'erga omnes' and an attack on the fundamental rights of children which must be fought at all levels; Stresses its preoccupation with child prostitution in Cambodia and with the trafficking in human beings both to and from Cambodia, with the objective of using them for forced labour, prostitution and begging and in illegal adoptions; Recalls the principles of the Charter of Human Rights and especially the rights of girls, in the case of sexual exploitation of minors in Asia and in the rest of the world; Condemns the attack of 8 December 2004 on the AFESIP shelter for victims of human trafficking in Phnom Penh and the abduction of 91 women and girls, some of them minors; Condemns the sex tourism industry in Cambodia and the other countries where it occurs, and requests that EU Member States enact and apply the necessary legislation needed to bring to justice all those involved in sex tourism with minors; Insists that the Commission takes into account the rights of children and women who are victims of trafficking in the programming of its human rights policy, within the framework of the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights; Requests that the Commission supports human rights organisations in Cambodia, especially those dedicated to the protection of victims of trafficking and sexual exploitation; Welcomes the decision of the Government of Cambodia to establish an interministerial committee including representatives of the foreign missions and national and international non-governmental organisations, as observers to witness, further investigate and personally interview the women concerned; Is confident of a positive and fair result from the Interministerial Committee which has just been set up, and recognises that the Cambodian authorities have made efforts to combat trafficking in women and children; underlines, however, the need to increase the number of prosecutions and convictions of traffickers so to put an end to trafficking in women and child prostitution; Calls on the Cambodian authorities to guarantee the safety of child protection organisations and their workers, especially for those organisations working to help trafficking and sexual exploitation victims; Calls on the Cambodian authorities to guarantee the safety of Somaly Mam, whose life is in danger; Calls on the Government of Cambodia to ratify the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, and the UN Convention against Organised Crime; Calls on the EU Member States to act together in the fight against organised crime and trafficking in human beings, especially trafficking in minors; Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Government of Cambodia, and the Governments of the ASEAN Member States.

Meeting of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men and Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population: Joint Hearing on Integration of Migrant Women in Europe
On 1 March 2005, the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men and the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population held a joint hearing on the integration of migrant women in Europe in Paris.

Child jockeys Going Home to Bangladesh¹
More than 100 Bangladeshi children trafficked to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to be camel racers will soon be repatriated.