GENEVA (ILO News) - The world should "join hands" to fight against child trafficking, a billion-dollar industry which subjects millions of children in the world to a modern form of slavery, said Queen Rania of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan today in an address marking the World Day Against Child Labour at the International Labour Conference.
"One more trafficked child is one too many", said Queen Rania of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in a keynote address to a World Day event marked at the International Labour Organization (ILO) annual conference.
"My friends, it is time for the world to come together and say, enough", stated the Queen who described child trafficking as one of the "worst forms of abuse, and a crime that affects millions of children and their families worldwide".
Child trafficking was selected as the special theme of World Day Against Child Labour this year because of the continued global problem of trafficking in children. The ILO's International Programme for the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) estimates that some 1.2 million children become victims of child trafficking each year.
"Child trafficking occurs within countries, across borders and between regions ... leaving a trail of stolen dreams and shattered lives in its wake", said the Queen. "This brutal trade in human lives is a billion-dollar industry. It enriches the greediest and cruelest among us - those who seek to profit from human misery and despair."
"Yet no amount of money could equal the price which is paid by the victims - the girls and boys who are taken from their families", said Her Majesty. These children are forced to work and "paid little or nothing". Their plight "amounts to modern slavery", she added.
According to the Queen, to end child trafficking we first need to recognize how it starts. "First and foremost, the business of human trafficking is fuelled by human poverty" which recruiters exploit.
"If the dark road of trafficking usually starts in poor and unstable countries, it frequently leads to destinations in every corner of the globe", said the Queen. In some cases, the lack of legal regulations favours this practice.
Rising public awareness is a key to address the problem, added Her Majesty: "We need better education at all levels. Better training for law enforcement. Better rehabilitation for trafficked children when they come home. National governments must commit themselves to prevent, protect and prosecute. And internationally, we all must agree to tackle this problem together".
In his introductory statement, International Labour Office (ILO) Director-General Juan Somavia referred to "the criminal practice of child trafficking", calling it "an assault to human dignity and an affront to our common values".
"Words are not enough", said Mr. Somavia, "We need action".
According to the definition of the ILO, a child is a victim of trafficking whenever it has been relocated and exploited. All those who contribute or profit from this practice - recruiters, middlemen, document providers, transporters, corrupt officials, among others - are traffickers.