Legal Responses
In the early 20th century, the worldwide abolition of slavery was largely developed through the Slavery Convention of 1926. This treaty expanded in 1956 by the Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave trade and Practices Similar to Slavery, which clarified and expanded the definition of slavery, including for example, debt bondage, forced marriage and child slavery. Although these treaties provided for the official abolition of slavery worldwide, they were not effective in addressing the issue of illicit slavery and human trafficking as the issue of human trafficking and slavery although illegal and well defined, still existed. Greater awareness of human trafficking and international pressure to deal with it grew particularly at the end of the 20th century. This culminating in 2000 with the UN General Assembly’s adoption of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children, as part of a larger treaty tackling transnational crimes. This protocol entered force in 2003 and aimed to provide overall protection, outlining an appropriate regime of protection, prosecution and prevention in order to effectively and more uniformly combat human trafficking. This Protocol has effectively created greater global awareness of the issue, better compliance in national laws in regards to human trafficking, and better cross-border cooperation in investigating and prosecuting violations.
Non-legal Responses
There are many programs and organisations, both international and domestic that aim to combat the causes and effects of human trafficking.
International Responses The United Nations, and the ILO and various other NGOs are involved in combating slavery and human trafficking. The United nations has established a Global initiative to Fight Human Trafficking, which aims to: increase awareness about human trafficking, assist NGOs in their anti-trafficking campaigns by encouraging cooperation, reduce the demand for the exploitation of people and the vulnerability of potential victims, and ensure support for victims who have escaped. The ILO has established a Special Action Programme on Forced Labour to attempt to raise global awareness of forced labour in its different forms. NGOs involved in combating human trafficking include: Anti Slavery international, which is an international NGO that aims to draw attention to the continuing problem of slavery worldwide and campaign for action and recognition. The American Anti-Slavery group is an anti-slavery NGO that works on awareness, advocacy and aid, and forces primarily on slavery in Sudan and Mauritania. According to the News article 'ILO, FG Collaborate to tackle Human Trafficking' The International Labour Organisation has assured the Federal ministry of Labour and Productivity in Abuja of its unflinching support to fight Human Trafficking from Nigeria to Europe. The director of the ILO disclosed this and said that the ILO would continue to collaborate with Nigeria on the implementation of the European Union funded project, to enhance the cooperation with Federal Nigerian government in the fight against trafficking in human beings from Nigeria to Europe. Under which, different training manuals, reports and a code of conduct for private employment Agencies will be developed and printed. The ILO showing its support to human trafficking is an effective tool in the fight against Human Trafficking and Slavery, assuming that the ILO and Federal government act effectively upon the issue. Domestic Responses In Australia, there are a number of NGOs including the Australian NGO, the Anti-Slavery Project, that are making an indispensable contribution to fighting all forms of modern slavery. The Anti-Slavery Project recommended that Australia reform the current visa regime to protect all victims of trafficking and slavery, as well as adequately resource and implement a victim support program that effectively meets the needs of survivors of trafficking and slavery. The media also plays a role informing the public about the existence and nature of modern slavery in Australia. In July 2006, the SBS aired Trafficked, a documentary about sex slavery in Australia which was watched by over 500 000 viewers. Trafficked effectively shocked the country and acted as a catalyst for some victims of trafficking to lodge compensation claims. Films, books and documentaries have also played an important role. Australia’s universities are also crucial in researching and reporting on tends in human trafficking in Australia. An example of this is the University of Technology Sydney’s Anti-Slavery Project that began in 2004, that is dedicated to the elimination of modern slavery in all its forms through collaboration with government agencies and community groups. The University of Queensland established a Human Trafficking Working Group in 2008 that researches and analyses cases and statistics on human trafficking and slavery in Australia. |
The News article 'Task Force Targets Human Trafficking in Western Virginia' confirms officials announcing the formation of a federal, state and local task force that aims to address human trafficking in the Western part of Virginia. A main goal of the group is to arm frontline police offers with the training to recognise signs of sex and labour trafficking, rather than just jailing a victim for a short period of time. Investigators, prosecutors and caseworkers need to be able to probe further to figure out if there might be a criminal operation afoot. Providing victims with various forms of counselling services, sexual assault resources and case advocates is another key part of the task force. Although this does not arrest suspects for suspicious behaviour, it creates awareness of the issue, and enables people to have a better idea on when and where human trafficking could be occurring, and in the long term is an effective tool in identifying and arresting criminals as of the awareness of Human trafficking that is created by this.
Effectiveness of Responses
The problem of modern slavery is evidently showing no signs of going away. The present rate of human trafficking in children is already 10 times higher than the transatlantic slave rate at its peak. With this, there is a victim of trafficking in the world every sixty seconds. The main contributors to the risk of people trafficking and slavery and the difficulty in preventing it has been identified as limited resources, or effectiveness of developing states to combat forms of exploitation and transnational crime, socio-political and economic factors that underpin the movement of people from one place to another. The prominent force of poverty is also a large contributing factor to human trafficking as well as lack of both education and the rule of law, can contribute substantially to the victims and the success of recruiters’ coercive or deceitful techniques. The United nations, the ILO and NGOs all play a crucial role in encouraging such countries to continue their efforts, and reporting mechanisms to help expose the continuing deficiencies of these countries’ efforts. Reports indicate that in the Asia-Pacific region, there has been a 30% increase in prosecutions in one year in Indonesia, and legislation now in place in over half of the Pacific Island nations.
Courts and tribunals play an increasingly important role in promoting and enforcing human rights. The legal response of Courts and judges being increasingly willing to use international human rights law as authorities in the development of common law, hence using international treaties as evidence for decisions is an effective tool in eliminating human trafficking, as well as non-government organisations effectively promoting and enforcing human rights due to the active role they play in the international community and their ability to act in otherwise restricted areas as they are unaffiliated with any other government. NGOs participate in education, training, research and working groups of UN, and submit reports on human rights.
Human trafficking is a massive industry with an estimated $32 billion total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry. $15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries, $9.7 billion in Asia, and $13,000 per year generated on average by each “forced labourer”. This number can be as high as $67,200 per victim per year, as recorded by the ILO in 2005. The victims of human trafficking are treated poorly with 95% of Human trafficking victims experiencing physical or sexual violence during trafficking. The UN promoting the negative issue of Human Trafficking and Slavery is an effective method of reducing human trafficking internationally. However it is reported that 161 countries are affected by human trafficking by being a source, transit or destination. Although legally Slavery and Human trafficking and slavery has been pronounced illegal in every single country in the world, it is still a rapidly expanding problem. NGOs create awareness of the modern problem at hand, however it is believed that further action is needed. In 2006, according to the US State Department, Trafficking In Persons Report, there was only 5808 prosecutions and 3160 convictions throughout the world, this means that for every 800 people trafficked, only one person was convicted in 2006. Thus evidently showing the inefficiency of the legal system in dealing with Human Trafficking and Slavery.
Courts and tribunals play an increasingly important role in promoting and enforcing human rights. The legal response of Courts and judges being increasingly willing to use international human rights law as authorities in the development of common law, hence using international treaties as evidence for decisions is an effective tool in eliminating human trafficking, as well as non-government organisations effectively promoting and enforcing human rights due to the active role they play in the international community and their ability to act in otherwise restricted areas as they are unaffiliated with any other government. NGOs participate in education, training, research and working groups of UN, and submit reports on human rights.
Human trafficking is a massive industry with an estimated $32 billion total yearly profits generated by the human trafficking industry. $15.5 billion is made in industrialized countries, $9.7 billion in Asia, and $13,000 per year generated on average by each “forced labourer”. This number can be as high as $67,200 per victim per year, as recorded by the ILO in 2005. The victims of human trafficking are treated poorly with 95% of Human trafficking victims experiencing physical or sexual violence during trafficking. The UN promoting the negative issue of Human Trafficking and Slavery is an effective method of reducing human trafficking internationally. However it is reported that 161 countries are affected by human trafficking by being a source, transit or destination. Although legally Slavery and Human trafficking and slavery has been pronounced illegal in every single country in the world, it is still a rapidly expanding problem. NGOs create awareness of the modern problem at hand, however it is believed that further action is needed. In 2006, according to the US State Department, Trafficking In Persons Report, there was only 5808 prosecutions and 3160 convictions throughout the world, this means that for every 800 people trafficked, only one person was convicted in 2006. Thus evidently showing the inefficiency of the legal system in dealing with Human Trafficking and Slavery.
Luke Clark Year 12